Podcasts about Amen

There are seasons in life when everything feels overwhelming — family struggles, financial pressures, illness, or work challenges. As our daily prayer and devotional remind us, in those moments, even getting out of bed can feel like too much. But God never intended for us to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Instead, He invites us to lean on Him, to trust Him fully, and to remember His goodness. Lynette Kittle encourages us that when life feels unbearable, we can take intentional steps to anchor ourselves in God’s truth: remembering His past faithfulness, staying persistent in prayer, feeding our souls with Scripture, and reaching out to encourage others. These small but powerful practices help lift our eyes off the heaviness and fix them back on the One who carries us. God’s Word promises that He is our Savior, our hope, and our strength. Even when life seems too hard, He is with us, sustaining us moment by moment. Your Daily Bible Reading: "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." – Psalm 43:5 Key Takeaways God never designed us to carry life’s burdens alone; He calls us to lean on Him. Remembering God’s past faithfulness builds hope for today. Prayer, even when it feels hard, keeps us connected to God’s strength. Scripture refreshes weary hearts with truth and perspective. Reaching out to others, even in our struggles, brings blessing and renewal. Let’s Pray Together Dear Father, thank You for being my Savior and my God. Although my body, mind, and heart feel weary, I choose to put my hope in You. Remind me of Your goodness and faithfulness. Strengthen me through prayer and Your Word, and help me to bless others even when I feel weak. Thank You that in You, I have hope and reason to praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Calls to Action Write down three ways God has been faithful to you and revisit the list when life feels heavy. Set aside 5 minutes today to pray, even if it feels hard. Share this devotional with a friend who may be facing difficult circumstances. Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily encouragement and prayer. Related Resources When Life Feels Overwhelming, How Do I Pray? – Crosswalk.com 10 Verses to Bring Hope When You Feel Weary – BibleStudyTools.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode we discuss the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk and consider the importance of living in light of eternity.Scriptures referenced:Matthew 14:1-12Luke 6:26Ephesians 5:22-6:4Luke 6:22-23Matthew 10:34-39Psalm 90:12John 15:18-19John 18:33-36Hebrews 11:8-16Revelation 21Hebrews 13:14Revelation 22:202 Peter 3:9Ezekiel 18:32Philippians 1:21-26Philippians 3:20-211 Peter 1:1-21 Peter 1:171 Peter 2:11-12Ephesians 2:19John 1:12-13Matthew 25:21Romans 13:1-4Genesis 9:5-6Matthew 23:23-24Luke 23:34The book of JonahRomans 3:232 Corinthians 6:2Psalm 127:2Matthew 22:34-40Psalm 119:92, 165Matthew 16:16-17**CLARIFICAITONS**I paraphrased a few verses, and I wanted to include them verbatim here:Luke 6:22-23: "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets."Revelation 22:20: "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"2 Corinthians 6:2: "...Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."Feel free to email the podcast at ijustwanttotalkabout@gmail.com, and we will respond as soon as we are able!I WANT TO BE DISCIPLEDI am on staff with another ministry called Mentoring Men for the Master (M3). M3 is a discipleship ministry; so, if you are interested in being discipled and having someone come alongside you to invest in you and your walk with Jesus, or if you would like to do this in someone else's life, feel free to email us at info@mentoringmen.net. You can also check out M3's website by clicking "I want to be discipled". Also note that despite the ministry's name, M3 disciples both men and women; so, the offer is open to all!I WANT TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTERIf you would like to sign up to receive newsletter updates, simply click "I want to sign up for the newsletter" and fill out the form. Also, feel free to check out our most recent newsletter.I WANT TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTIf you feel so led, you can support the podcast by clicking "I want to support the podcast". I Just Want to Talk about the Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which means that any donations made are tax-deductible. Thank you so much for giving as the Lord leads!...

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 42-44; Revelation 22 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, Florence Atiega kicks things off with a heartfelt community greeting, reminding us all that we are loved. As we continue our 261st day in the journey through the Bible, we dive deep into Ezekiel chapters 42 through 44, where detailed visions of the temple layout, the holiness of God's dwelling, and the responsibilities of the priests take center stage. We then soar to the breathtaking promises found in Revelation 22, where John describes the crystal-clear river of life and the ultimate restoration and glory awaiting God's people. As always, we reflect on God's word, letting it shape and transform us. Florence leads us in thoughtful prayer, inviting God's presence, peace, and mercy into our day. The episode also features warm check-ins from listeners around the world before a grateful shout-out to the faithful supporters who make this daily podcast possible. Whether you're joining from Maryland or the far reaches of the globe, settle in—let's soak in the Scriptures together, discover God's heart, and remember this powerful truth: you are loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: John sees a river called life. It's crystal clear—radiant, transparent, a perfect reflection of the truth and beauty found in the One who is Life itself. John invites us to join him, to look together into those crystal waters and behold something marvelous: the very glory of God, revealed as in a mirror. In that vision, we not only see God as He truly is but also discover ourselves as we truly are—loved, cherished children of God. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, tells us that as we behold God's glory, we are being transformed “from glory to glory.” The veils that have obscured God's true heart, all the lies that have separated us from Him and plunged us into darkness and despair—those will be removed. The day is coming when we'll see with clear, unveiled faces. In that moment, seeing the face of Jesus, we will discover the deepest hope of our hearts: that we belong, that we bear the family resemblance, that we are His. John tells us the river of life is not just for a future day. Even here and now, as we look to Jesus through the Scriptures, as we meditate on His goodness and see His fingerprints in creation, those veils begin to lift. Day by day, we gain greater clarity of who God is—and who we are in Him. As we let His Word and His presence wash over us, we are transformed to live as His beloved. Every moment spent in His presence is a glimpse of that crystal river, a taste of the unveiled life that is to come. That's a prayer I have for my soul—may I see with unveiled face. It's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And it's a prayer I have for you. May we all come to the river and see, and know, and reflect the glory of the Lord. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Gospel Luke 7:31-35 Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children." Reflection There are two responses to the Truth. One is rejection in the form of judgment. The other is acceptance and the transforming grace of what the truth brings. It's interesting to me to see the way the crowd perceived John the Baptist and Jesus. They didn't look at anything other than something they could condemn. Judge. Jesus is an alcoholic. John the Baptist was out of his mind. How easy it is to judge and condemn how difficult it is to receive the truth that God longs for us to receive. Closing Prayer Father, it's your grace, your presence within us that enables us to grasp and understand after pondering the mysteries of this wonderful story called Salvation History. Bless us with that wisdom. Keep us from judgment, condemnation, and we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we honor God’s faithfulness in our lives and in our churches? In this devotional, we explore the importance of celebrating your church, your community, and God’s work through milestones and spiritual victories. Just like the Israelites set up stones of remembrance in Joshua 4, we are called to pause, reflect, and rejoice in the ways God has guided, sustained, and blessed us—both individually and collectively. ✨ Highlights Why celebration should be part of every church’s culture How setting “stones of remembrance” strengthens our faith Practical ways to honor God’s work within your community Encouragement to celebrate spiritual milestones — big and small How celebrating together deepens unity and reflects God’s love

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. — Hebrews 13:2 Krystal entered our lives many years ago when her life was at rock bottom. With nowhere else to turn, she came to our church, hoping to reconnect with Jesus, who had been a big part of her life when she was younger. As I and a few others began to learn her story, we discovered many layers of brokenness. I was amazed as members of our church embraced Krystal and provided for her needs. She was supported with a steady supply of healthy food. Someone gave her their older car, and a mechanic fixed it up free of charge. One night, when my daughter and I stopped by Krystal's place to drop off some groceries, she burst into tears at yet another expression of care. Then a few months later, when her life stabilized, Krystal moved on, and none of us heard from her again. Despite that disappointment, I do not regret the experience of connecting with Krystal. We aimed to be faithful in caring for her needs, and we do not know everything she was dealing with. She is in God's care. I also can't help wondering if, through Krystal, we served an angel without knowing it. As we live out the good news of Jesus in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and other communities, we never know how the story will twist and turn, but we do know that God calls us to show his love. God, help us to let go of our expectations and to serve whoever you may bring into our lives. Thank you for always loving us fully. Amen.

Every day brings choices — some small, some life-altering. In today's prayer and devotional, we remember that whether it’s navigating relationships, parenting, work, or personal growth, our need for God’s wisdom is constant. Wisdom is more than human intelligence or cleverness. It is discernment rooted in God’s will, applied through a humble heart that acknowledges His way is always better. Amanda Idleman reminds us that our natural instinct is to react emotionally or cling to control. But God’s wisdom invites us to pause, pray, and listen. His way looks beyond the moment and steers us toward goodness, mercy, and Spirit-led living. Seeking wisdom requires intentional rhythms — morning prayers, moments of worship, pauses in the middle of our busyness — that anchor us in His guidance. God promises that wisdom is His gift to those who ask (James 1:5). As we cultivate hearts that surrender and listen, we learn to discern His gentle nudges, recognize His peace, and walk confidently in His direction. Today's Bible Reading: "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." – Proverbs 2:6 Key Takeaways Wisdom is God’s gift, rooted in discernment and alignment with His purposes. Our way is often reactive, but God’s way sees the bigger picture. Building daily rhythms of prayer and Scripture helps us hear His guidance. God’s wisdom shapes not just our choices but also our character and faithfulness. Let’s Pray Together Father, I need You to help me know Your way and find Your path. I need Your wisdom for today’s decisions. Show me how to pause and listen for Your Spirit before I rush ahead. Forgive me for relying on my own pride and control. Teach me to live humbly, trusting Your way is better. Thank You for being faithful to provide wisdom for every circumstance. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Calls to Action Begin each day by asking God for wisdom before making decisions. Create small “holy pauses” throughout your day to re-center on God’s direction. Share this episode with someone facing a difficult choice and remind them of Proverbs 2:6. Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily encouragement and prayer rooted in Scripture. Related Resources How Do We Define Someone Who Shows Wisdom? - Crosswalk.com 5 Ways to Pray for God’s Wisdom Every Day – BibleStudyTools.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 40-41; Psalm 128; Revelation 21 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, “September 16th, 2025,” host Hunter invites us to gather around the Scriptures and discover what God is saying to us on day 260 of our journey. We'll explore detailed visions of the temple in Ezekiel 40 and 41, the blessings of Psalm 128, and the promise of a new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21. Hunter walks us through these passages as our Bible reading coach, highlighting how the temple—once the epicenter of sacrifice and divine presence—is ultimately eclipsed by Jesus, the true source of life, light, and hope. Heather joins to share a personal reflection on change, using a story about Portland's migrating swifts as a reminder of God's enduring faithfulness amidst life's transitions. Together, we close with heartfelt prayers and encouragement to embrace the new seasons God brings. Settle in as we warm our hearts by the fires of God's love, and remember—no matter what changes, you are loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The story of sacrifice is no more. That's what stands out in today's readings—a whole narrative built around altars, offerings, and a temple, with its Most Holy Place, fades away. In Ezekiel, we see exact measurements for the place where heaven and earth would meet, the space where God would, by design, invite broken humanity into his holy presence through sacrifice. The temple stood as the epicenter of Israel's worship and God's bridge to his people. Every room, every altar, every detail pointed forward, always and only ever pointing us to him—the Lamb. But in Revelation, John sees something altogether new. The story changes. There is no more temple, because there is no more need for it: “I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” Even the sun and the moon, those keepers of time, are no more. All that once gave structure and symbol to history has been eclipsed. Darkness, suffering, and death are gone. The instruments of sacrifice have given way to the fullness of what they pointed towards—Jesus himself. What remains? Life. The Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus, the Lamb, has brought history to its completion. All stories are now dissolved into his, and only he remains, shining brighter than the sun, illuminating the city, and infusing every moment with the glory of God. The story of God's unfailing love has reached its apex, and you have been woven into that story. Your name, written in his book, means you share his eternal life and light. So now, we are called to live in that light, to abide in him, to let his life become ours. All other stories fall away. The seasons change. The world shifts around us. But here is something that endures, unchanging: you are written into the very life of Christ. The Lamb is your temple. The Lamb is your life. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Gospel  Luke 7:11-17 Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. Reflection This miracle happened at the beginning of Jesus ministry, and we know it was repeated toward the end of his ministry when he raised Lazarus from the dead. But in both cases, what Jesus is trying to make sure people understand is that his kingdom, that he is here to call into existence, is giving people the power over evil, over anything that would destroy us, harm us, keep us from the fullness of life. This is a beautiful example of the power that God is sharing with us. As the Holy Spirit enters us and empowers us. Closing Prayer Father, keep us always aware of the power that you share with us by dwelling with us. Give us a sense of the ability we have to overcome those things that we feel are obstacles to our growth, and we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Prayer to Cultivate Kindness Motherhood is filled with both chaos and sweetness. In today’s devotion, we reflect on the small yet powerful acts of kindness and those tender moments that remind us of God’s love. We are reminded that we don’t always need the perfect words or solutions when others are hurting. Often, presence, gentleness, and kindness speak louder than advice. Reference: Ephesians 4:32 Prayer: Thank you God for your loving kindness. Help me to respond to the needs of others with kindness every day in every way. Teach me to react with kind words and deeds instead of anger or frustration. Help me lead my children to be kind by example. Holy Spirit empower my children to share your kindness with those around them. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. LINKS: How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide Follow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms Get today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use! Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon. Discover more Christian podcasts at LifeAudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at LifeAudio.com/contact-us Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Romans 12:2 and 1 John 4 Amen

COMPLETAS MARTES - TIEMPO ORDINARIO(Oración antes del descanso nocturno)*Link de apoyo al canal al final del escrito*INVOCACIÓN INICIALV. Dios mío, ven en mi auxilioR. Señor, date prisa en socorrerme. Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.Salmo 5 - Ant. No me escondas tu rostro, ya que confío en ti.Señor, escucha mi oración; tú que eres fiel, atiende a mi súplica;tú que eres justo, escúchame.No llames a juicio a tu siervo, pues ningún hombre vivo es inocente frente a ti.El enemigo me persigue a muerte,empuja mi vida al sepulcro, me confina a las tinieblas como a los muertos ya olvidados.Mi aliento desfallece,mi corazón dentro de mí está yerto.Recuerdo los tiempos antiguos,medito todas tus acciones, considero las obras de tus manosy extiendo mis brazos hacia ti:tengo sed de ti como tierra reseca.Escúchame en seguida, Señor,que me falta el aliento.No me escondas tu rostro,igual que a los que bajan a la fosa.En la mañana hazme escuchar tu gracia,ya que confío en ti;indícame el camino que he de seguir,pues levanto mi alma a ti.Líbrame del enemigo, Señor,que me refugio en ti. Enséñame a cumplir tu voluntad,ya que tu eres mi Dios.Tu espíritu que es bueno, me guíe por tierra llana.Por tu nombre, Señor, consérvame vivo;por tu clemencia, sácame de la angustia.Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre,por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.CÁNTICO EVANGÉLICOAnt. Sálvanos, Señor, despiertos, protégenos mientras dormimos, para que velemos con Cristo y descansemos en paz.CÁNTICO DE SIMEÓN       Lc 2, 29-32Ahora, Señor, según tu promesa,puedes dejar a tu siervo irse en paz,porque mis ojos han visto a tu Salvador,a quien has presentado ante todos los pueblosluz para alumbrar a las nacionesy gloria de tu pueblo Israel.Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo.Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos. Amén.Ant. Sálvanos, Señor, despiertos, protégenos mientras dormimos, para que velemos con Cristo y descansemos en paz.OREMOSIlumina, Señor, nuestra noche y concédenos un descanso tranquilo; que mañana nos levantemos en tu nombre y podamos contemplar, con salud y gozo, el clarear del nuevo día. Por Cristo nuestro Señor. Amen.BENDICIÓNV. El Señor todopoderoso nos conceda una noche tranquilay una santa muerte.R. Amén.ANTIFONA FINAL DE LA SANTISIMA VIRGENBajo tu amparo nos acogemos, santa Madre de Dios, no desprecies las oraciones que te dirigimos en nuestras necesidades,antes bien líbranos de todo peligro, oh Virgen gloriosa y bendita.(539)

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23 Our text today is Judges 4:6-10: She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand'?” Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him. — Judges 4:6-10 What blessings slip through our fingers when we hesitate instead of acting in faith? God had already spoken: “Go, gather your men… I will give him into your hand.” The outcome was certain. Victory was promised. But Barak hesitated. Instead of trusting God's word, he leaned on Deborah: “If you go with me, I will go.” He wanted her presence more than God's promise. Deborah agreed—but warned him: the glory of victory wouldn't go to him. God would hand Sisera over to a woman instead. Barak went to battle, but the lesson was clear: hesitation comes at a cost. God still wins—but when we pause at the edge of obedience, we may miss the full blessing of leading boldly. This is where too many believers get stuck. God calls. The promise is sure. But instead of stepping out in full faith, we hesitate. We stall. We wait for more signs, more reassurance, more backup. Barak still fought, but his hesitation meant he lost the honor of leading with decisive courage. Deborah had to fill the gap. Here's the challenge: don't wait for someone else to carry the weight God put on your shoulders. God's victory doesn't depend on you—but your faithfulness does. Step up without hesitation. Don't miss the blessing because you lingered when God said, "Go." ASK THIS: Where am I hesitating when God has already spoken clearly? What fears keep me from taking the step God is calling me to take? Who might be carrying weight right now because I've delayed obedience? How can I step forward today in faith instead of waiting for more certainty? DO THIS: Pinpoint one area where you've been hesitating. Stop stalling—take one clear step of obedience today. PRAY THIS: Lord, forgive me for hesitating when you've already spoken. Give me the courage to step forward in faith, trusting your promise more than my fear. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Made For More."

Daily Dose of Hope September 16, 2025   Scripture – Luke 19:28-48   Prayer: Lord, We need you. Our world is unstable and unjust. It is a place where innocent people die and power and control take precedent over mercy and compassion.  While we know that sin and brokenness are everywhere, it is still hard to take it in.  We don't know which way to turn.  So, we need you.  We need your peace, your justice, and your wisdom.  Help us be the people you have called us to be, even when it's hard.  Fill us with your courage to speak truth and grace.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Luke 19.   We start with Jesus entering Jerusalem as King; this is what we call the Palm Sunday passage.  We are so used to this narrative that sometimes we don't see the strangeness of it.  This is an odd scene.  Jesus sends two of his disciples to go on ahead to the village and find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.  If someone asks why you are taking it, then just say the Lord needs it.  What this says to us is that Jesus has taken care of every single detail.  We don't know how he has done it, but Jesus is God and he has made sure everything is right.    So, they get the colt.  They put their cloaks on the colt and Jesus rides on it.  Others spread their cloaks on the road.  As he makes his way down the Mount of Olives, a crowd of his disciples gather and begin praising God.  Now, this isn't just the twelve disciples.  This is probably a fairly large group of believers that have seen his power, the people who have heard his teaching, watched his miracles.  And they shout out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”   A couple things to note here: ·      All of this is very intentional.  This is not a coincidence.  This is a very intentional show of power.  Jesus is being given a royal welcoming.  First, he is riding on a colt.  In the Old Testament, new kings would come riding in on the mule or donkey of the the previous king.  We see in 1 Kings 1 that David puts his son Solomon on his own mule, a trumpet is sounded, and the people rejoice and shout, then the priest and the prophet Nathan anoint him as king of Israel.  The mule is like the presidential limo, a sign of power and prestige that says that this is the new leader. ·      What's interesting here is that Jesus is not riding on the previous king's mule or donkey.  He is riding on a colt that has never been ridden.  Scripture makes a point of telling us this.  Why?  Because God is doing a new thing, Jesus is a different kind of king. ·      Then, there is this whole issue of the cloaks being thrown down on the path for Jesus to pass.  The people are running ahead and shouting his praises.  This is the kind of welcome that a royal official of the Roman government would receive.  Think of it like the red carpet being rolled out.  This is the sign that a very important leader, the new king, has arrived.  All of this has meaning.   And for the Jews in the crowd, and most of them would have been Jewish, they would have known that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.  Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. All of this is pointing to the fact that Jesus is the king.   This large group of disciples were praising God joyfully and shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord…” What might not be apparent to us is that when they shout this – Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, Peace in heaven and glory on highest” they are expressing that this is the Messiah, this is the anointed one, the one they had been waiting for that God had sent to save them.  These words echo Psalm 118:22-26, The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. 25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.   Surely, this is the long-expected Messiah, this is the one that God sent to sit on the throne of David, just as he promised some 600 years before.  You see, its all coming together for them.  And thus, there is much joy and celebration for God has sent King Jesus to save us.    But what happens next is worth noting.  The Pharisees tell Jesus to make his disciples stop.  Stop the praising.  Stop the quoting of Scripture.  In fact, what they say is, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  Seriously, make them stop.  Why was it that the Pharisees wanted the people to stop praising Jesus?  What was behind this rebuke?    Could it be that they know exactly what's going on?  They know that Jesus is declaring himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.  Maybe they are scared, maybe they are angry, we really don't know.  What we know is that they want it to stop quickly.  And Jesus refuses this request.  He says, “...if they keep quiet, then the rocks themselves will cry out.”  Creation itself will cry out and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  Think about that.    And this narrative ends with Jesus crying over Jerusalem, this city that he loves but he knows will reject him.    I want to focus briefly on the crowd.  What kinds of people were part of this group of disciples, praising Jesus and hailing him as King?    I would imagine that some of them were those who saw his miracles.  They were those people who had life-changing encounters with him.  People like Zacchaeus, Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus (who Jesus raised from the dead), the Roman centurion whose slave was healed, Mary Magdalene, the bleeding woman who Jesus healed…people who experienced the expansive love and miraculous healing power of Jesus.  They received grace in ways they never knew possible.  I'm guessing they were in the crowd, cheering loudly and throwing their cloaks on the ground.  They know Jesus as Lord and King.   But who else?  What about those who so badly wanted a king to overthrow the Romans?  Everything about Jesus screamed revolutionary.  Wasn't the long-expected King going to return the Jews to their rightful place?  Wasn't he going to put an end to this oppression and take care of these stupid Romans for good?  Yes, there were probably some of those in the crowd.   So, let's get this clear:  There were those who wanted something from Jesus, there were those who liked the idea of Jesus, and there were those who truly worshiped Jesus.  What group would you fall into?  Before you quickly make a decision, really think about this.  What kind of king is Jesus to you?  What are your expectations of Jesus?    So often in the Christian life, we give lip service to Jesus being King of Kings and Lord of Lords but we don't really live like it.  What kind of king is Jesus to you?  What are your expectations for King Jesus and what happens when they aren't met?  How often have we expected Jesus to ensure us that nothing bad will happen?  If only we believe and are faithful, maybe my loved ones won't get sick, my job will be protected, my marriage will be secure, you get the idea.  How often have we wanted to lean on Jesus as counselor, as self-help guru, as protector, as doctor, but we aren't really that keen on making him Lord of our Lives.   You see, Jesus as Lord means turning everything over to him.  It means giving him our desires, our relationships, our resources, our thoughts, our time, everything, and saying --- Jesus, your will be done, not mine.  Lately, I've been really wrestling with this whole concept of seeking God's will, not my own.  I've found that my prayers too often are a list of what I want to see happen and I'm not really, truly asking Jesus for his will to be done.  I'm working on this.  Because if Jesus is my King, then it's his will I desire.  It's his solution to the problem.  It's his desire for this church, for my children, for my marriage, for my future.  How often do we want Jesus to be provider, sustainer, protector, and friend BUT not Lord?  What kind of king is Jesus to you?   I don't want to end this devotional without talking, at least a bit, about Jesus in the Temple.  According to Luke's Gospel, he enters Jerusalem as King and goes directly to the Temple.  Things are a mess there.  To put it mildly, there was much unholy commerce in the Court of the Gentiles. There were many merchants selling animals for sacrifice and there were money changers present for foreign Jews to exchange their money to the local currency for the temple tax.    So why was Jesus so upset?  Wasn't this all part of the sacrificial system?  This was the one area of the temple designated for Gentiles (the nations) to pray. They weren't allowed in any other area of the temple. And the Jewish people had taken over the entire area for trade and profit. Lots of money was being made here.  Jesus is beyond angry.  The religious leaders have an interesting reaction to this.  They are scared.  I'm thinking that they know they are in the wrong but they don't want to submit to this Jesus character.  Thus, they begin to plot how to kill him.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Tuesday, 16 September 2025   And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”  Matthew 13:10   “And the disciples, having come, they said to Him, ‘Through what in parables You speak to them?'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called out for those who heard His parable to hear. Next, Matthew records, “And the disciples, having come.”   Although not a problem, it is unknown exactly when this transpires. It doesn't say “then,” or “at that time.” Therefore, their question could have come at any time, but Matthew is recording it here for the convenience of understanding.   Mark 4:10 says, “But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.” Luke 8 brings this question up in the same manner as Matthew, placing it right after the time Jesus tells His audience to hear.   Jesus was in a boat giving this parable. It appears that He continued His discourse and that the question came later. When it came, it was something asked not only by the twelve, but by many of the disciples.   Whatever the exact timeline, “they said to Him, ‘Through what in parables You speak to them?'”   The disciples' question is natural. Instead of just plainly telling the people what He was talking about, Jesus' words are interesting but veiled. Their question is probably as much a petition to have the explanation to the parables provided as it is one asking why He spoke this way.   At the time, despite being disciples, they were also a part of the audience. If someone from the crowd came up and asked them to explain the parable, they would have been incapable of doing so. This probably occurred and brought about their question to Jesus. This seems likely based on what it says in Mark 4 –   “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.” Mark 4:33, 34   Life application: In Matthew 7, Jesus has already been recorded as saying this:   “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7, 8   Jesus may be speaking in parables, and the disciples may not understand why, but He has already told them that in seeking, the answer will be found. How He responds to their question will, therefore, apply to anyone who comes to Him for an answer.   To this day, the words of Jesus are open to the Jewish people. They are not secreted away by the Lord where they cannot be saved during this dispensation. But there has to be a motivation to seek the truth. In the recent past, a soldier in Israel shared his story about his father's conversion.   He “came to faith after picking up a flyer about Jesus on the street that was just lying around. Reading it and then going to the Bible and reading the gospel about Jesus. Because of all the stigma, he thought the New Testament was written by Nazis, but when he picked it up, he said ‘I felt like it's the real deal that continues the Old Testament.'”   Imagine that. A gospel tract was thrown away by one person, but another picked it up and was willing to check things out. He was encouraged and challenged enough that he had to know if it was true. The disciples have asked Jesus about the hidden mysteries of God. But nothing is really hidden if one searches for the truth and then opens his heart to what he discovers.   Lord God, our time in handing out tracts may seem wasted when we don't hear about any conversions or breakthroughs in the area where we hand them out, but give us the desire to continue to share the good news this way and in any other way that we can. A plant cannot grow unless the seed is first planted. Amen.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. . . .” — Mark 10:45 Last year I took a course with mission leaders from around the world. On the first day, we were asked this question: How would you describe the central, gospel message of the Bible? I spoke up with an answer that reflects my church tradition. A few others chimed in with their answers. After several people had spoken, a classmate from Ethiopia gave an answer that many of us did not expect. She said, “I think the story of the Bible centers on the story of God as a servant.” That got our attention. She went on to explain, “The Bible opens with God creating the world and caring for Adam and Eve. The rest of the Bible is the story of how God put into place a plan to serve the world through his Son, Jesus.” And then she pointed out this beautiful detail: “The Bible ends with a picture of the new Jerusalem, which we are told will not need the sun or moon because God provides the light” (Revelation 21:23). From the beginning into eternity, God serves the world and all who are in it. I had never heard the good news framed in that way, reflecting a different perspective and cultural context. If Jesus came not to be served but to serve, how does that affect the way we live each day? How should it affect the way we live? Servant God, I am humbled by your willingness to do whatever was necessary to rescue me. Help me in my life to be a reflection of your self-giving heart. Amen.

Come As You Are Series - MosesExodus 4:10-13 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I Myself will be with your mouth, and instruct you in what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”This chapter starts with Moses questioning God.  God had just told Moses he wanted him to go to Egypt and talk to God's people.  He said he wanted Moses to speak to the most powerful person at the time, the pharaoh of Egypt, and tell him he needed to let the Israelites go.  He needed to release his entire workforce, as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  Also, Moses has been on the run for 40 years after he killed a man.  Moses was concerned no one would believe him if he did as God asked Him to do.  In Exodus 4:1-9, God tells Moses exactly what to do if they don't believe that God spoke to him. God said he would turn Moses's staff into a snake when he threw it on the ground, and then, when he picked it back up again by the tail, it would become a staff again. This way, the Israelite people will know that God sent him. Furthermore, if that didn't work, the Lord told Moses two other signs he would do so that they would believe that the Lord sent him.In verses 10 & 11, it says, “But Moses said to the Lord, 'O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”  Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” The Lord is telling Moses, I know you, I made you. I know what you can and can't do. However, I am the Lord, and I can do all things. If God can make the deaf hear or the blind see, then don't you think He could give you whatever you need to do whatever He is calling you to do?Just before this verse, God was telling Moses that He wanted Moses to go to Egypt and free the Jewish people. Moses, like many of us, had lots of reasons why he was not qualified to do the job God asked him to do. What if they didn't listen to him? What if they didn't believe God had sent him? God gave Moses all sorts of answers to these questions. Every excuse Moses gave him, God responded with an answer.It makes me think of my kids when I ask them to do something, and they have a million excuses for why they can't. It doesn't matter if you shoot down 1 million excuses; they will always have just one more. It is so frustrating, and I can imagine it would be even more frustrating for the Lord. I mean, He is God. He knows everything. If He says you can do something, you can do it.Moses started right in with the what-ifs. What if they don't believe me is the only one he mentioned, but I wonder if it was the only one?  I wonder if this one “what if” spiraled into a bunch of “what ifs?”  Has that ever happened to you before? You start wondering what if this happens, and what if that happens, and before you know it, you've imagined 50 different scenarios, and most of them are bad.  Did you ever notice your mind doesn't usually go through all the positive what-ifs?  When is the last time your brain asked What if I win the lottery?  What if everything works out perfectly?  What if I do get that job with the pay raise?  What if I do meet the man of my dreams?  If your brain has done the what-ifs with a positive spin, then you are lucky; that is not how it usually goes.God was going to use what Moses already had, the staff, to convince the people that Moses was telling the truth.  If God sends you to do something, he will give you all you need to do it.  We don't have to question Him. This aligns with one of my favorite sayings, which is that God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.  If God is calling you to do something, you can rest assured knowing He has already given you all you need to fulfill that calling.  When we ask “What if,” we are thinking about the future, we are going through all the scenarios of everything that could go wrong with our day.  What if it isn't really God calling me to do this thing? What if other people think I am crazy for doing this thing?  What if I am too old or too young to do this thing? What if I try it and I fail? Do you see how one thought can then spiral into a lot of thoughts, each one seemingly more and more serious?  I would like to say this type of thought pattern was unusual.  It isn't. If you tend to start to head down the what-if road often, you are not alone.  Many of us do this.  However, when we do this, we are worrying needlessly, and we are probably missing out on whatever is happening at the moment because we are too wrapped up in our thoughts.  We are too wrapped up in what might happen, and so we are missing out on what is actually happening. For instance, let's say you have a calling from the Lord.  Your mind may start down the what if road.  What if I can't so what He is asking me to do?  What if I try, yet I can't do it?  What if my family disagrees with what I am doing?  What if I let people down? What if I make people angry?  Do you see how our thoughts can spiral quickly?  Do you see how these thoughts are based on the future?  They are also based on things I don't have any real control over.  The Lord is the Lord God Almighty. He is not going to ask you to do something that you can not do. He created you. He knows everything about you. He knows your weaknesses, and He knows your strengths. If He is calling you to do something you feel you aren't very good at, then that means He is going to help you get better at it. I remember about 8 - 10 years ago, I asked the Lord, “Why is it that everyone in my family can write but me?” My dad and two of my brothers have published books. I am one of the five youngest in my family, and the other four are very gifted writers, especially with poems. So, I was curious why I wasn't a good writer. The Lord reminded me that although I can't seem to write poems, I always did very well writing papers in school.I had no idea that 5 years later the Lord was going to call me to write a different devotional 5 days a week for several years and also to write two books. When asked to write the blogs first, then these podcast episodes, and finally the books, I definitely talked to the Lord about how I wasn't the best writer. However, I also told the Lord that I would show up to write if He would show up and tell me what to write, and so it all began. Now I have over 1,000 episodes that I have written, numerous blog posts, and two books. If I can obey the Lord's call, so can you.He isn't asking you to know how to do it. He isn't asking you to do it perfectly. He isn't asking you to be good at it. He isn't asking you to have all the provisions to make it happen. All God is asking you for is your yes. He will do the rest. All you need to do is take the next right step and trust that if you need something, God will provide it.God had a pretty amazing call for Moses' life, and once Moses accepted it and stopped complaining and trying to get out of it, they did some pretty awesome things together. Moses got to experience miracles he never would have gotten to experience if the Lord had bought his excuses and let him off the hook. We should all be thankful that God loves us enough to listen to our excuses but not let us off the hook because of them.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this podcast today!  Lord, help us to stay in the present moment.  Please help us leave the what-ifs to you.  You are our Lord and our Savior.  You can take care of all the what-ifs before we even get to them.  You are bigger than anything that could come our way.  Help us to trust the Lord.  Please help us to trust you have already thought of all the what-ifs and you have prepared us for them.  We love you, Lord.  You are truly amazing.  We are so grateful we have you looking out for us and preparing the way.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  Just two more weeks to sign up for the retreat, as I have to get the numbers in to the retreat house a week in advance. If you are thinking about coming, I invite you to click on the link below and check out all the details. I look forward to spending time with you again on Monday.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I've called you to be holy. I've made each of you a sacred creation. Put your game on all the time, and put on your Sunday best, even when you're alone and you think that I am not watching you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Father Anthony with Tony and Cristina gather to discuss the goings on, and people in the Parish. We begin the show with Spiritual “warfare” as Father Anthony's mic was just not functioning.  Father relocated to a different mic and prayed while we worked on technical difficulties-finally resolving towards end of prayer. Amen!! After break we regroup and start anew, Father discusses a few articles that have been written after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. One article in particular addresses a noticeable increase in church attendance. Another addresses the urgent need to reject relativism-Father was just speaking to this last week Friday, how timely he is. The group goes ahead and chats regarding these topics, always coming back to God is needed, He is the center and prayer is key! St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish  

Peace often feels elusive in our fast-paced, worry-filled world. In your daily prayer and devotional, we consider how our thoughts can become like a traffic jam of fears about the future, regrets from the past, and anxieties over what feels out of our control. But Isaiah 26:3 offers us a different picture: perfect peace — God’s shalom shalom — a wholeness and calm that transcends chaos. Rachel Wojo, host of Untangling Prayer, reminds us that this peace isn’t found in perfect circumstances but in a steadfast mind fixed on God. When we choose to trust His unchanging character, rather than our shifting situations, we can anchor ourselves in His eternal stability. God is the Rock who never moves, and when our minds remain focused on Him, His peace guards our hearts, even in anxious moments. Perfect peace doesn’t come because life gets easier. It comes because we remember that God is greater than anything threatening our peace. Bible Reading: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 If you're looking for more guidance on anchoring your heart in God's faithful promises, Rachel invites you to check out her new prayer journal, Praying the Promises of God: 52 Week Guided Journal at https:promisesprayerjournal.com. You'll find encouragement and space to meditate on the promises that can transform your prayer life. Until next time, remember, God sees you, hears you, and He knows your needs. Key Takeaways Perfect peace is possible in Christ, even when life feels overwhelming. God’s peace is not based on circumstances but on trusting His unchanging nature. Choosing to fix our thoughts on God helps us take anxious thoughts captive. God is the Rock eternal — stable, steady, and always faithful. Let’s Pray Together Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of perfect peace. When my mind races with worry, help me fix my thoughts on You instead of my fears. Remind me that You are my Rock — steady and unchanging when everything around me feels uncertain. Guard my heart and mind today with Your peace that surpasses understanding. I choose to trust You right now, in this moment. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Calls to Action Begin your day by meditating on Isaiah 26:3. When anxiety creeps in, pause and redirect your focus to God’s faithfulness. Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement in an anxious season. Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for more daily encouragement rooted in Scripture. Related Resources How to Experience God’s Peace in Daily Life – Crosswalk.com 10 Scriptures to Pray When Anxiety Strikes – iBelieve.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 38-39; Psalm 145; Revelation 20 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, host Hunter guides us through a powerful journey in scripture, reading from Ezekiel 38–39, Psalm 145, and Revelation 20. As we encounter dramatic visions of battles, God's justice, and the ultimate defeat of evil, Hunter gently reminds us to keep our eyes on the true plot—the revelation of Jesus Christ. Rather than getting lost in the mysteries or using enigmatic passages as doctrine, we're invited to approach them with humility, seeking the voice and presence of Jesus at the center. With heartfelt prayers for peace, unity, and gratitude for the Daily Radio Bible community's 12-year journey, this episode encourages us to find joy, stay grateful, and remember that we are loved as we walk together through the Bible. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Let's get this story straight. Today, as we read through these mysterious passages in Ezekiel and Revelation, it can be easy to lose sight of what the real story is. We hear about Gog and Magog, armies and battles, the lake of fire, and the great serpent—images that are thick with mystery, allegory, and sometimes even confusion. It's tempting, when we see this language of judgment and wrath, to let our hearts fixate on retribution. When we witness injustice or pain in our world, we understandably desire for wrongs to be set right, for evildoers to pay. And if we aren't careful, we can let that longing color how we read God's story—loading mysterious passages with our own longing for vengeance, making God in our own image, a God primarily defined by judgment and retribution. But that isn't the real plot. John, in writing Revelation, tells us that this is “an apocalypse, a revelation of Jesus Christ.” The story is about Him. The Bible is always pointing us to Jesus—the living Word, the One who alone has the words of life. All of Scripture, even the perplexing and cryptic parts, ultimately draw us back to His love and His life. This means we must approach passages like these with humble, reverent caution. Even early Church leaders understood that the book of Revelation was shrouded in mystery—they allowed the book, but advised the church not to use it to build doctrine. They knew that sometimes the cipher, the interpretive key, was lost, and it would be dangerous to presume mastery over God's mysteries. So we come not as know-it-alls, but as listeners with open hands and hearts, asking to hear the voice of Jesus, trusting Him to be the plot and the point. Paul called himself not a master of doctrines, but a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God. That's our invitation too: not to solve mathematical riddles, but to encounter a living Savior, to let His presence set our hearts on fire as He did for those disciples on the road to Emmaus. To walk with our Rabbi, to be students of His mystery and His love, allowing Him to be the interpretive key for every page. Because Jesus is the unveiling of God. He is the heart and hope of every story. When we hold onto Him as the center, both the clear and the confusing scriptures begin to take on new light. Life in Him is more beautiful and hopeful than we could have dreamed. That's my prayer today—that I will hold fast to this plot, to Jesus our Rabbi. That I'll hear His voice, know His joy, and let His story shape my story. That's the prayer I have for myself, for my family—my wife, my daughters, my son—and that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Loving God, you have knit us together in the body of Christ from every nation and tongue. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Where hatred stirs, let us bear your love. Where wounds run deep, let us be agents of pardon. Where fear grips hearts, may we speak faith. Where sorrow hangs heavy, may we carry joy. Teach us to listen more than we speak. To understand before we are understood. To love. For in surrender we find abundance. In mercy we discover grace. And in dying we rise into your life. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  a

* See notes below for full text of Seven Sorrows of the BVMSCRIPTURE- Luke 1:34"But Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be?'"REFLECTION- Sr. KathleenMUSIC- The Breach by Alexandra Streliski- Warmness by Alexei SurovykhPRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.THE SEVEN DOLORS (SORROWS) OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYAccording to a form approved by Pope Pius VII (1815)V.  O God, come to my assistance;      R.  O Lord, make haste to help meV.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.           R.  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.   (The Hail Mary is said after each verse.)1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35)I grieve for you, O Mary, most sorrowful, in the affliction of your tender heart at the prophecy of the holy and aged Simeon. Dear Mother, by your heart so afflicted, obtain for me the virtue of humility and the gift of the holy fear of God.     Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.      Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of of thy womb, Jesus.      Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the anguish of your most affectionate heart during the flight into Egypt and your sojourn there. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of generosity, especially toward the poor, and the gift of piety.     Hail Mary….3. The Loss of Jesus for Three Days (Luke 2:41-50)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in those anxieties which tried your troubled heart at the loss of your dear Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart so full of anguish, obtain for me the virtue of chastity and the gift of knowledge.     Hail Mary….4. The Carrying of the Cross (John 19:17)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the consternation of your heart at meeting Jesus as He carried His cross. Dear Mother, by your heart so troubled, obtain for me the virtue of patience and the gift of fortitude.     Hail Mary….5. The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:18-30)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the martyrdom which your generous heart endured in standing near Jesus in His agony. Dear Mother, by your afflicted heart, obtain for me the virtue of temperance and the gift of counsel.     Hail Mary….6. Jesus Taken Down from the Cross (John 19:39-40)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, in the wounding of your compassionate heart, when the side of Jesus was struck by the lance before His Body was removed from the cross. Dear Mother, by your heart thus transfixed, obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding.     Hail Mary….7. Jesus Laid in the Tomb (John 19:39-42)I grieve for you, O Mary most sorrowful, for the pangs that wrenched your most loving heart at the burial of Jesus. Dear Mother, by your heart sunk in the bitterness of desolation, obtain for me the virtue of diligence and the gift of wisdom.     Hail Mary….Let Us Pray:   Let intercession be made for us, we beseech You, O Lord Jesus Christ, now and at the Hour of our death, before the throne of Your mercy, by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose most holy soul

269. Questions for More Connection and Laughter in Marriage with Casey and Meygan Caston   *Disclaimer* This episode contains some mature themes and listener discretion is advised.   2 Corinthians 1:4 NIRV "He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God."   *Transcript Below*   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you share three of the questions from your most recent book, specifically the ones people have told you unlocked the best conversations in their own marriage? You say you're an unlikely couple to help support marriages. Will you share a glimpse of your own backstory? What are a handful of ideas for ways couples can strengthen their connection with one another?   Casey and Meygan Caston are the Co-Founders of Marriage365. Casey and Meygan were perfect examples of what not to do in marriage. Three years into marriage, they found themselves having racked up more than $250,000 in debt, fighting constantly, and were ready to call it quits. Despite the 12 failed marriages between their parents, they knew this wasn't the legacy they wanted for themselves or their children. They began reading and educating themselves on how to do marriage the right way. The result of their journey is Marriage365, where they millions of people worldwide through their books, social media, retreats, and their online streaming service, Marriage365.   Marriage 365 Website Marriage 365 App Marriage 365 Books Marriage 365 Coaching   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Sample of Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce: 4 Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life With Your Spouse With Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen 5 Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  6 Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 89 Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery 108 Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder 135 Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand 155 Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 156 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 158 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta 165 Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas 186 Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: An Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Special Patreon Release: Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder 252 Maximizing Sexual Connection as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Clifford & Joyce Penner   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcript*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:15)  Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.    I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse.   To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org.    Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Casey and Meygan.   Casey Caston:  Thanks for having us. Excited to be here.   Laura Dugger: So, thrilled to have both of you, and let's just dive right into one of your sweet spots. How can open-ended questions change a marriage?   Casey Caston: (1:16 - 2:33)  Yeah, well, if you think about when we first met somebody that we fell in love with, fell attracted to that first date, as you're sitting across the table, you are looking at that person with so much curiosity. Like, who is this person? What are their hopes and their dreams and their life experiences?   What are they afraid of? Where are they going in life? And that curiosity drove us to ask really good open-ended questions.   Like, tell me more about yourself. It's funny because we were just reading in Proverbs this morning that in a man's heart, he has a purpose, but a man of understanding draws from the deep wells to pull that out. And I just, I always think about how a great question plums the deep wells of a man's heart or woman's heart.   And that attraction, that energy we feel, helps us with asking great questions. But then what happens is when we get married and we move into the wash, rinse, repeat of childcare and chores and, you know, the mundaneness of going to work, coming home, dinner, like, it can really sap all of the romance out of a relationship. And so, what happens is we fall into asking really boring questions.   Meygan Caston: (2:33 - 2:34)  Like, how was your day?   Casey Caston: (2:34 - 2:36)  What's picking up the kids?   Meygan Caston: (2:36 - 2:37)  What's for dinner? Yeah.   Casey Caston: (2:38 - 3:18)  So, we realize that when the well is dry, so to speak, you're not asking those great questions. We need prompts. We need an outside prompt because I don't think naturally we would ask great questions to spark this, you know, connecting conversation.   And I will tell you too, that if you just dropped in and, you know, just ask your spouse, like, “Hey, so, tell me some boundaries we need to set up with your parents.” People are going to be like, “Excuse me, where did that question come from? And what's the question behind the question?   What's your motivation here?” But those are conversations we need to have. We just need prompts.   So, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (3:19 - 3:32)  Well, I love that response. And I'm also curious after working with so many married couples, what have you seen as that connection between these amazing prompts for open-ended questions and emotional intimacy?   Meygan Caston: (3:34 - 4:20)  Yeah. Well, kind of like what Casey was mentioning about, um, just that curiosity of getting to know each other. I think the other part of asking those open-ended questions and having these deeper conversations is really about intentionality.   Like you still care about me. You still want to know about my heart. Well, for us, 25 years later, I still care about you.   I still love you. And I think that of course, as women, we long for that emotional connection. And I don't think that men realize it, but they actually long for that too.   And it's creating a safe place for spouses to share, to cry, to even, um, dream together about their future. And I think, again, if we don't give ourselves those opportunities and we're not intentional with that, we get stuck in the mundaneness of marriage.   Casey Caston: (4:20 - 5:03)  But, uh, and I would add to that, that curiosity, Meygan, I've talked about how curiosity is the pursuit of something. Right. And we all long to be desired to be pursued.   I mean, that is, that underlying communication is so powerful in relationships, because if you think about it, if you're not being pursued and your spouse isn't curious, I mean, that's like the, the heart of apathy. It's like, I don't care. And I know that people aren't intentionally trying to communicate that, but when you feel that, like my spouse doesn't really care about what I dream about or what I'm hoping to achieve this year, they just come home and they just watch TV or they're on their phone.   Meygan Caston: (5:04 - 5:18)  Right. That communicates a lot non-verbally. And so, that's why these open-ended questions are something that we should never stop being a learner of each other and of ourselves.   And that will provide that emotional intimacy.   Laura Dugger: (5:19 - 5:45)  That's so good. And obviously your resources are amazing. I would love, because you have these 365 Connecting Questions for Couples.   And so, I want to just hear maybe three of these questions that come to mind for you guys, especially as you've heard, these are the ones that tend to unlock something deeper in the conversation.   Meygan Caston: (5:46 - 6:07)  Absolutely. So, August 3rd is, are you someone who spends a lot of time in deep thought, processing things before making a decision, or do you tend to make quick decisions? Why or why not?   That question has genuinely sparked so much conversation between us and even like with our kids and other couples. Maybe you can explain why.   Casey Caston: (6:07 - 6:11)  Yeah. Well, I'm Mr. Impulsivity, so.   Meygan Caston: (6:11 - 6:29)  Yeah, you are. Where I, I don't, I wouldn't consider myself a deep thinker, but I definitely like to make pros and cons lists and think through things. But if you think about a dynamic between a husband and a wife, you know, there are so many decisions that you make together, small and large, your whole life, every day.   Casey Caston: (6:29 - 6:30)  Decision-making is huge in relationships.   Meygan Caston: (6:31 - 6:57)  And it's an everyday thing that couples are tackling. And it's important to know that no one is better than the other. It's not that a deep thinker is better than a more impulsive person. It's kind of more just naturally how you are. Have you always been this way? Do you like that about yourself?   Wow. You know, well, when it comes to these bigger decisions, I do spend, make more time, you know, thinking through and pros and cons. Oh, well, with small decisions, I'm more impulsive. I mean, you could just talk about that for hours and hours.   Casey Caston: (6:57 - 7:01) Yeah. But what's interesting is I tend to think more futuristic and big picture.   Meygan Caston: (7:01 - 7:01)  Yes.   Casey Caston: (7:01 - 7:03)  Even though I'm impulsive in the moment.   Meygan Caston: (7:03 - 7:05)  And I cannot, I can't do that.   Casey Caston: (7:05 - 7:06)  You are Ms. Realist.   Meygan Caston: (7:06 - 7:08)  Just tell me today, tell me this week.   Casey Caston: (7:09 - 7:10)  I can't think about this fun sponge.   Meygan Caston: (7:11 - 7:11)  Yes. Yeah.   Casey Caston: (7:12 - 7:15)  Because I'm like, let's dream big. And she's like, yeah, but what's happening today?   Meygan Caston: (7:16 - 7:49)  Yeah. Yeah. Another great question is January 18th.   How can we romance each other during the day in anticipation of sex? Because as we all know, us ladies, we need the foreplay. But again, I think that husbands also enjoy the foreplay.   But I don't think that couples are having these conversations. I think they think a foreplay is, well, once we enter into the bedroom, you know, and what we like to say is it's anything positive is foreplay. So, a thoughtful text, you know, a flirty I'm going to grab your hand to empty out the dishwasher.   Casey Caston: (7:49 - 7:50)  Amen.   Meygan Caston: (7:50 - 7:55)  Yeah. You know, it's those kinds of conversations. But like, I would never think of asking you that.   Casey Caston: (7:56 - 7:56)  Right.   Meygan Caston: (7:56 - 7:58)  Right. Thankfully for those.   Casey Caston: (7:58 - 8:10)  But as you know, Laura, like couples that need to talk about their sex life. And if you don't talk about your sex life, most oftentimes there's a lot of assumptions. And that leads to, you know, dysfunction.   Meygan Caston: (8:11 - 9:14)  Well, and missed expectations. Totally. Yeah. And then I have another question. April 25th is how do our differences help complement each other?   Oh, so, kind of another one of those things, like with making decisions. Every single couple has differences. And we always tell people Casey, and I are more different than alike.   I think people see us online and whatnot. And they hear, oh, we're both extroverts. We are. So, we have some similarities. We're both stubborn, very competitive, both competitive. But in the day-to-day operations of who Casey and Meygan are, we make decisions, we run our lives, run our business, run our business.   We are completely opposite. And what I think it's good to do for couples is to actually own your differences rather than shy away from them or make yourselves feel bad, like, oh, I wish we were the same. I get it.   You know, we actually are attracted to those things when we're dating. That's why opposites attract. But then when we get married, it's like, why doesn't he do everything the same way? I do it because I do it the right way. That's what we think. Right.   Casey Caston: (9:15 - 9:21)  Well, you heard the joke that marriage is about becoming one. And in the earlier years, it's about which one.   Meygan Caston: (9:21 - 10:14)  Yeah. Which one? Which figure out?   Yeah. And so, that question really allows you to identify your differences, but then go, how do they balance each other out? And I think for me, as someone who is organized, type A Casey's very spontaneous.   If we were both type A and structured, we wouldn't have a lot of fun. We really wouldn't. His spontaneity really brings out that side of me.   But if we were both spontaneous, our bills would never be paid, and we'd be broke. So, you know, I'm a I'm a saver. He's a spender.   You can see the balance in that. It's good that we're both those things. Right.   I'm on time. He's late. We could continue going on and on and on and on.   But I think that he's a risk taker. I'm a complete play it safer. And so, those really draw out a beautiful balance in our marriage versus trying to change one another.   So, I hope that question sparks listeners to really ask your spouse that and have fun with the conversation.   Laura Dugger: (10:15 - 11:03)  Well, you chose three great ones. I love it. And they draw out such different parts of our personality.   You highlighted where Casey's more futuristic. Meygan, you're more present. Some people will connect with questions that direct them more past oriented.   And so, our orientation to time comes out and the meta conversations, the talking like having the conversation about your conversation. Just so much goodness. And yes, especially with sexual intimacy.   So, many couples report that it is much harder to engage in conversation about sex rather than just have sex. And like you said, missed expectations can be one of the blow ups there, among many other things. So, you have questions that don't shy away from all forms of intimacy.   Meygan Caston: (11:04 - 11:10)  Yeah. And to also say we have a lot of fun questions, too. Like, tell me about what your bedroom looked like when you were a teenager.   Casey Caston: (11:11 - 11:12)  That's a great one. I love that one.   Meygan Caston: (11:12 - 11:47)  Let's talk couples. If you had a really hard day with the kids or at work, pick a fun question. You don't have to go by the date.   If you don't like the question, it's triggering, then flip to the next one. But going back to that emotional intimacy and connection that you were talking about, Laura, is you have to have those deep questions and those conversations. And you did when you were dating, because if you went on a date with your husband and you were like, hey, tell me, you know, what do you want to do when you retire?   And he was like, I don't know. Yeah, you'd be like snooze fest. This guy's boring, right?   Or if he was on his phone the whole time, there was something intriguing about your spouse.   Casey Caston: (11:47 - 11:48)  I don't know. I don't know.   Meygan Caston: (11:48 - 12:01)  Yeah, there was something intriguing about your spouse when you were dating and you were asking those questions that should never stop. Just like we hear that quote, never stop dating your spouse. Well, never stop learning about your spouse.   It's the same thing. Absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (12:02 - 12:16)  And I love how you two have such a humble approach because you say that you're a very unlikely couple to help support marriages. So, will you let us in on your own backstory?   Meygan Caston: (12:17 - 12:46)  Yeah, well, can I just start off by saying this? We live in a county that has one of the highest divorce rates in the nation. So, it's 72 percent divorce rate where we live.   We also come from there's 12 marriages between our parents. So, we come from so much divorce and trauma. And then we also got married very, very, very young.   So, all those statistics were against us on top of that. I'm just going to start off by saying that. Casey Caston: (12:46 - 13:18)  Yeah, my mom's been married six times. So, when by the time I hit junior high, I had probably like nine different iterations of home life and different dads and step siblings and half brothers. And all of that between both of our parents.   There's just there's some mental illness. There's affairs. There's all this trauma that was really unprocessed.   But then when Meygan and I saw each other, it was like we knew the wounds that we shared. It was like almost like a trauma bond.   Meygan Caston: (13:19 - 13:19)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (13:19 - 14:08)  Like, oh, I've got abandonment. So, do you. And, you know, let's do it's like, wow.   So, let's make each other happy. And dating was just all the fun stuff, right? It was long walks along the beach.   It was going to street fairs or, you know, going out and having fun. And then we're like, if this is what life could be like, then we should do this forever and ever and ever. And just, you know, we were so doe eyed of like and optimistic about how marriage life would look like.   So, then once we did get married, done, done, done, we had to like work through stuff. Now, I was so conflict avoidant because I was afraid if there was conflict, then that means that there's going to be distance between Meygan and I and she might leave me.   Meygan Caston: (14:08 - 14:24)  Oh, there's another there's another difference. I'm a fighter. He's a fighter.   So, anytime we would have conflict triggers, you know, emotional regulation, I was like, we're going to go for it. Now, of course, my fighting tactics were not healthy. I yelled. I blamed. I was very aggressive, assertive.   Casey Caston: (14:24 - 14:37)  Conflict was very scary for me. Now. Now, Meygan, she's like wanting to deal with issues. And here I am, like trying to run for the hills. And she's like, he doesn't care about me. And I'm like, I'm trying to protect the marriage by not dealing with it.   Meygan Caston: (14:37 - 14:49)  So, you never really resolved anything. We would fight really bad. We broke all the fighting rules.   And then there was no true resolve, no apologies, no remorse. And you just kind of move forward.   Casey Caston: (14:49 - 15:06)  And so, then we piled ourselves like we had over two hundred fifty thousand dollars of debt when we started to try to work on getting pregnant. We we dealt with infertility. We I have ADHD, so that creates a lot of that's fun.   A lot of fun for the marriage.   Meygan Caston: (15:06 - 15:08)  The divorce rate is very high with ADHD.   Casey Caston: (15:08 - 15:10)  My life gets to teach you patience.   Meygan Caston: (15:11 - 15:11)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (15:12 - 16:44)  But and then we have a child with special needs as well. So, we we had like if there's something that could go wrong, it it went wrong. We had you know, once we got married, there was toxic in-laws that boundaries that were crossed.   So, it just nothing for us came easy. And so, that's why we were the least likely to succeed in marriage. I mean, if we there was a couple doomed from the get go, it was Meygan and I believe a hundred percent that God used those trials, those hardships to create marriage.   Three sixty five. He gave us the strength to, you know, have the courage to say we're not going to follow in our parents footsteps. We're going to change that.    You know, it ends with us literally like we are going to change and break this generational sin because it goes back many, many generations for both of us. Our whole family is littered with divorce. And now like when we approach marriage, it because of where we've come from, it wasn't all flowery.   It was really tough. We have to be practical and very tactical with our advice, because when you're sitting across from a couple that's angry and resentful. We have to sit there and go, we know what that's like.   And here's exactly what you need to do next. I'm not going to give you a platitude. I'm not going to give you some flowery statement or we're not going to just talk through it.    No, we're going to give you a tool and an action step that's going to help you. Laura Dugger: (16:46 - 18:56)  Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time?    WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life from premarital to parenting to the emptiness phase. There is an opportunity for you. WinShape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even when it seems things are going smoothly so that they're stronger if they do hit a bump along their marital journey.   These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of WinShape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga. While you're there, you will be well fed, well nurtured and well cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication and more.   I've stayed on site at WinShape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food and content. You will be so grateful you went to find an experience that's right for you and your spouse. Head to their website, winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage dot org slash S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'd love to hear even more into the redemption part of it, because Marriage 365, you had shared before we had recorded that you launched that in 2013. So, just to get the timeline straight, had you already done some work and some counseling before you launched that?   Meygan Caston: (18:56 - 19:26)  Or what was that journey? Yeah, so, we always say we it took us two years to fall in love and get married. It took us three years to destroy our marriage, and it took about four or five years to repair our marriage.   It was, as you know, Laura, it is not a quick fix when your marriage is as bad as ours. And so, our story is unique in the sense where we were both not wanting to get help for our marriage. I love you, babe, but he was resistant.   He didn't want to go to therapy. His family didn't go to therapy. That wasn't normalized.   Casey Caston: (19:26 - 19:31)  Well, my faith background said that therapy is bad from the from the devil.   Meygan Caston: (19:31 - 19:38)  It was specifically your parents. But from the devil. Yeah, because I have a faith background, too. And my parents went to therapy. But that's what I was saying.   Casey Caston: (19:38 - 19:40)  My background was that you don't do that.   Meygan Caston: (19:40 - 21:16)  Yeah. So, I was wanting to get divorced and he wouldn't divorce me. He was like, no.   So, if you're going to do it, you got to do it. And so, I got help for myself. And I had the most amazing woman who a therapist who just walked me through basically how to save my marriage by myself.   And she goes, listen, you know, at the end of the day, if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. You have zero control over Casey. You have 100 percent control over you.   He's not here. You are. I can show you how to communicate, how to forgive him even without getting an apology.   I can show you how to bring to his defenses down. I can show you how to create boundaries so he doesn't yell at you anymore. I mean, and that's literally for 13 months I worked on myself. And I believe that that is what genuinely changed everything. And that's really the message behind Marriage 365 is if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. Stop waiting around for your husband or your wife to get on board.   They may never. Then you're only going to build resentment while you sit there and wait. At the end of the day, you're responsible for how you show up.   And so, in that 13 months, the hope was, of course, that I would positively influence Casey, which I did. And he saw the change in me. Everything changed.   I mean, like we both used to be yellers, right? We would both yell and scream. And I was like, I'm not going to yell anymore.   Like, I just I don't want to be a yeller of a mom. I don't want to be a yeller of a wife. Like, I don't like this part of me. My mom was a yeller. I mean, oh, yeah, I hate this. And I just remember like one day he came walking in and he was all heated and frustrated and he started yelling at me. And do you remember what I did, babe?   Casey Caston: (21:17 - 21:33)  Yeah. She looked at me and calmly said, you know, I can tell that you're very upset. I really want to have to listen to what you want to share with me.   Why don't you go outside, take a break, come back in? We're going to sit back on the couch. We can talk about it. I'm here for you. And I was like, what a change.   Meygan Caston: (21:33 - 22:07)  Who is this person? I changed the way that we did marriage. I did that.   And I tell people that I didn't do that once. I didn't do it twice. I did that for months because we had habits we had created.   But I was like, that was like a new boundary. I'm like, I'm not going to engage with him when he's angry. It's been triggered.   Nothing good is coming from this. So, it was all of that we started to really adopt and learn together because he's like, you're a different person. Like, it was obvious we were doing the tango.   And now I was doing the rumba and he was over there doing the tango. And I'm like, come join me in the healthy rumba over here because it's way better.   Casey Caston: (22:07 - 22:09)  And so, for toxic tango.   Meygan Caston: (22:09 - 23:20)  Yeah, we went to a marriage. Yeah, we went to a marriage intensive. And we did some therapy.   We did a lot of self-help. But through that journey, this is kind of where we started Marriage 365 is. First off, we couldn't afford therapy.   We needed to pay off all that debt that we had with a lot of student loan debt, a lot of stupid debt. What do you do if you can't afford therapy? What do you do if you don't have a good therapist?   What do you do if you have a bad experience with therapy? What do you do if the books aren't enough? And that was there was a really big hole and missing part in the marriage.   I don't say industry, but in the marriage space, where were all the online resources? Because this was back again in like 2010 when like podcasts weren't even around, social media was just becoming a thing. And it was really hard.   We were really disappointed with the lack of resources there were for marriage. And it felt like every church you go to, there was, you know, the missions ministry and the children's ministry and the youth groups. And all those are great.   Where in the world are all the marriage ministries? Then we found out only 3% of churches have actual paid marriage ministries. And I thought, that's messed up.   That's reverse. It's supposed to be the opposite, because then everything else will work itself out, as we know, with what research shows.   Casey Caston: (23:20 - 23:21)  Same with men's ministry, by the way.   Meygan Caston: (23:21 - 23:22)  Yes, same with men's ministry.   Casey Caston: (23:22 - 23:23)  Men's and marriage.   Meygan Caston: (23:23 - 23:26)  That's like the stepchild.   Casey Caston: (23:26 - 23:33)  Tech guy slash men's guy slash, you know. Children's persons can also do marriage.   Meygan Caston: (23:33 - 23:40)  So, we really just started helping our friends out. Obviously, people could see the change. Then people would come to us. We started helping couples at our church.   Casey Caston: (23:40 - 23:48)  And we had a ghoul pool. Like people were like, we give you guys another like ten months and then we're expecting you.   Meygan Caston: (23:48 - 23:51)  Yeah, everyone that knew us thought we'd get divorced.   Casey Caston: (23:51 - 23:52)  We were messy.   Meygan Caston: (23:52 - 23:58)  We were bad. Yeah. So, to see the complete transformation. And again, I go back to that work we did was on ourselves.   Casey Caston: (23:58 - 25:31)  And I just have to say that if you want to make a better marriage, it starts by making a better you. If you're hearing that. And you're kind of in a one sided marriage right now, I got to just say, I know that message sucks because it's a message that says you have to go first.   And that's not fair. In a marriage, you're supposed to be a team. But I do want to say there's so many couples that are stuck. Waiting for their spouse to join them on the let's get healthy train. So, their spouse doesn't join them. And then what they do is they kind of lean back, fold their arms and go, well, I guess we're stuck.   But I want to say that that's there is a message of empowerment to say you do have influence and the ability to steer your marriage in a healthy way. I have lots of regret that I did not join that train much sooner. But the story is that Meygan, you know, became the hero of our journey.   And that is something that I work actively so that I'm never in that place again, that I am the one that's always actively trying to improve myself, that I'm a better communicator, that I'm not a yeller, which we've ditched that a long time ago, that that I'm considered of Meygan's needs. And I'm even like attuned to like, what is she feeling? And how do I meet her where she's at?   Laura Dugger: (25:32 - 25:54)  Which is amazing that watching Meygan, it was compelling enough for you to join in. And it's admirable on both sides, the work that you've done. And are there any specific areas that you grew in that now you teach couples? I'm thinking specifically under conflict and repair or communication.   Casey Caston: (25:55 - 27:42)  Yeah. So, I remember those early years and every single week was chaos to chaos. Like coming home, it'd be like, what's for dinner?   I'm hungry and we need to make a decision now. Or, you know, it's Friday night or Saturday morning. What's going on this weekend?   Or where's all our money going? It was very, it was very reactionary. And I remember reading through Stephen Covey's, you know, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.   And the first habit is be proactive. You cannot be intentional with your life. You cannot create purpose and meaning unless you are proactive with your life.   So, Meygan and I, you know, I'm working in a company and every single week we get together and we go through what are everyone's goals? What do we need to accomplish this week? We find alignment and the week goes really well.   We've got KPIs. We've got all these like, hey, as a team, you know, work team, here's what we're trying to accomplish this week. And it just kind of dawned on us like, well, why don't we do that in marriage?   Why don't we do that for a family? You got a family of six. You got six people running around the house. All have agendas. And you are trying to find alignment so that, hey, this is what the family is all about this week, right? We've got tournaments.   We've got parties. We've got projects. We've got meals.   And I think for so many couples we talk to, they live. Life with purpose on like building their career or their business or purpose with other areas of their life. And then when it comes to family, they wing it.   Meygan Caston: (27:42 - 27:43)  They just wing it.   Casey Caston: (27:43 - 28:31)  Yeah. And it's like, well, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. It's the winging attitude creates chaos.   And so, Meygan and I love to teach this tool called the Weekly Marriage Business Meeting. And it is all of the logistics of our relationship schedules, meal plans, budgets, connection time, sexy time, alone time, self-care time. Yeah.   And and we kind of set with intention the week ahead for us. And we go through all the decisions of who's going, what, where, when. And all of that's done.   So, when you walk into the day, you're not like stressed about what's supposed to be happening. There is alignment and there's no missed expectations.   Meygan Caston: (28:31 - 29:27)  Yeah, there's no fights anymore about, well, you said you'd be home at six. No, I didn't. I said I'd be home at seven.   We sync our calendars. And I think, too, a big thing with this is we've noticed we fight when we don't do this now. It's one of those tools that it's prevented most of conflict.   I mean, we say it will on average for the most couples that use it. We have at least over 10,000 couples we know right now currently using it that are our members that they say it cuts conflict in half in half, because what you're doing is you're even scheduling that connection time or date night time where you're like, no matter how busy we are, when are Casey and Meygan going to get to be Casey and Meygan?   And that's so important, because again, if you're winging it and you're just trying to find time to connect, well, you've got four kids, we've got two teenagers. It's never going to happen. Right. And so, the weekly marriage business meeting is definitely one of the amazing and favorite worksheets and tools that we've taught and that we use ourselves because it works.   Casey Caston: (29:28 - 29:28)  Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (29:28 - 29:59)  What a game changer. That is awesome and so practical, so intentional, which we're all about. But then also we had talked about emotional intimacy earlier and emotional intimacy is interconnected with sexual intimacy and communication is the root issue.   And that's what you teach couples. So, what are some conversations that couples can begin so that they can grow in both of those types of intimacy and enjoyment?   Casey Caston: (30:01 - 31:34)  Yeah, so, I feel like I have to start off by saying I got this so wrong when we were first married. It's OK. I forgive you now.   Yeah, because, you know. Let's just let's be we'll be we'll be completely transparent. So, Meygan and I waited to have sex until we were married.   So, now I actually waited till I was married to have sex. And I thought that under that purity guideline, I was promised maybe by a youth group, maybe by a convention, that if you withhold sex and remain pure, God is going to bless you with the best sex life when you're married. And that just simply did not happen.   Like when we first got married, I really got went into the bedroom thinking. I don't know what foreplay is, but let's have intercourse until I come and then we're done. And that's sex. That's our sexual intimacy. And we missed out on so many intimate ways of knowing each other and sex being an obligation and something like I just was demanding of it from Meygan. And. What I've come to discover and what I love to teach other men is that sex is so much more broader than just having intercourse. I mean, there was this total understanding like, well, I feel good during intercourse. This feels very stimulating, which means that Meygan must feel the exact same way while we're having intercourse.   Meygan Caston: (31:35 - 31:35)  Nope.   Casey Caston: (31:36 - 32:35)  Because that's because listen, I never had sex before. But anytime I watched a rom com, you know, the guy threw up, you know, against the wall or they're having intercourse and she's going and he's going and they're having a great time. Like this must be what sex is all about.   And what I've discovered now and I get to teach other men is that emotional intimacy is kind of the birthplace of sexual expression of love, right? That we we create safe places for our wives to to open up. And because of that, they become more willing and wanting that that sexual expression rather than us just coming in and saying, OK, it's time for sex.   Let's go. And so, when we talk about just this book, this 365 Connecting Questions for Couples, I tell my guys, I'm like, hey, if you want to have great sex, start here because that is foreplay.   Meygan Caston: (32:35 - 33:48)  That's start here. It's good to know my heart, not just use me for my body, which can feel like that for a lot of people. And I think going back to the emotional intimacy, I think that, again, you had that when you were dating or you wouldn't have gotten married.   There was no way you were. If the person was boring, closed off, if, you know, your spouse was just completely on their phone every time, you wouldn't have had that second, third, fourth date. So, there was emotional intimacy at some point, which means you can't ever say we never had it.    You can always get it back, but you can have to be intentional. And I think a great way is we call it connection time. I think date night scares a lot of people.    I think it's the idea of. We have to go to a restaurant, we have to spend money, we have to find a babysitter, all these hurdles that you have to go through to make it happen, so then couples just don't even do it. So, we're like, listen, if you if that's overwhelming to you, then try connection time.    And really what that is, it's still undivided, you know, attention and time with you and your spouse. Maybe it's smaller, maybe it's 15 minutes, 30 minutes. And I know for when our kids were little, we played board games and card games and they'd go to bed, you know, at 7:30 or 8:00 PM.    And we would bring out Yahtzee.   Casey Caston: (33:48 - 33:51)  There'd be a lot of trash talking over chutes and ladders.   Meygan Caston: (33:52 - 34:29)  But we would play. We would play games. And it was our time to connect.    And when we didn't talk about the kids, you know, we just chatted about our day and again, going through some of these connecting questions that didn't even really exist yet, but they were in our heads. Taking a walk with the dog and, you know, going to a little local coffee shop, even if it's just 30 minutes and sharing and talking and exploring that emotional intimacy should never stop again. And that's going to give people opportunities to then go into the bedroom, like Casey mentioned, more willing and more excited to be intimate to each other because it's like, oh, that's right.    We like each other. We're still married. We're still friends.   Casey Caston: (34:29 - 35:15)  You bring up a great point. Like I said, I think sitting down over the table, staring at each other can be intimidating for a lot of guys, because especially if this is not a regular habit in your relationship and taking a walk for guys when we're doing something and maybe it's less intimidating because we're not even staring at each other. But that kind of like getting the, you know, oxytocin going, like getting moving, like that kind of adrenaline can actually stimulate guys for good conversations and processing things.    And so, what we hear from a lot of couples that take our book, maybe they'll take a picture of the question and they'll go, Hey, let's take a walk. And then they'll use the question on their walk.   Meygan Caston: (35:15 - 35:15)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (35:15 - 35:24)  And that gets conversations going. So, if that's like a on ramp onto this, that's a that's a great starting point for a lot of people.   Laura Dugger: (35:24 - 36:48)  Oh, that's so good. And I love how you say just an on ramp, because the goal is more intimacy overall together to know one another, be known. And I love that you're showing this is not a manipulation factor.    This isn't ask these questions so we can be more active in the bedroom, regardless of whichever spouse is the higher desire one. But this is to really enhance all levels of your relationship. And as you talk about oxytocin, it just makes me think such an interesting cycle that the Lord created where I will speak more stereotypically that where women require the emotional connection and then they open up and enjoy sex more.    But then men, once they've had sex and they just have this like 500 percent increase of oxytocin in this neurochemical bath that opens them up emotionally. And we could see it even as we view our differences. You could be upset because they're opposite or we can see it as a gift that they can fuel one another.    And then we get more of a holistic picture of overall intimacy. So, I'll also link to quite a few episodes because we do about one per month where we dive deeper into sexual intimacy. S   o, I can link all of those in the show notes.    But Casey, were you going to say something?   Meygan Caston: (36:49 - 36:50)  I want to say something to it.   Casey Caston: (36:51 - 37:16)  He loves. Well, so, we're talking chicken and egg, right? Like who gets the emotional intimacy, who gets the physical intimacy first?    And I just think that there's if we approach our relationship with selfishness, well, then neither people get satisfied. But if we are in an approach to serve one another and be selfless lovers. So, men would be like, you know what?    I want to meet my wife's emotional needs.   Meygan Caston: (37:16 - 37:16)  Yeah.   Casey Caston: (37:17 - 37:38)  Like and I do believe that men are the spark of initiation. If you're a husband out there listening to this, like that one of your greatest gifts to marriage is initiation. You were the one who asked for the first date.    You were the one who got down one the knee. You are the spark of initiation. And I believe that God's created women as nurturers of that initiation.   Meygan Caston: (37:39 - 37:41)  And to clarify, you're not talking just about initiating sex.   Casey Caston: (37:41 - 37:43)  Well, yes. Just everything.   Meygan Caston: (37:43 - 37:55)  Initiating, just initiating, initiating a weekly marriage business meeting. Women are so turned on by when a husband's like, hey, I don't necessarily know what we want to do for a date night, but I want to take you on a date. Can I get an amen, Laura?   Laura Dugger: (37:55 - 37:56)  Right, sister?   Meygan Caston: (37:57 - 38:14)  Hey, women are turned on. Listen, men, women are turned on. If you say, you know what?    I know that like this has been an issue with my parents and I don't even know how to handle it, but I really want to have that conversation. Oh, my gosh. Just initiating the conversation is all we're looking for.    It's OK that you don't have all the answers.   Casey Caston: (38:14 - 38:14)  Yeah.   Meygan Caston: (38:14 - 38:23)  But for men that avoid stonewall, escape, numb out, busy themselves, it is such a turnoff. It is so not what we want.   Laura Dugger: (38:23 - 39:55)  I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit theSavvySauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Heinrichsen from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities. And we are thrilled with the final product.    So, I hope you check it out there. You're going to find all of our podcasts now with show notes and transcriptions listed a scrapbook of various previous guests and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living. You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nation with the good news of Jesus Christ.    So, make sure you visit theSavvySauce.com.    Okay, so, then continue the conversation with just overall intimacy. What are some examples of de-escalation techniques that you recommend to couples who are in conflict, ones that can maybe help the strained relationships so that they can be repaired?  Yeah.   Meygan Caston: (39:55 - 42:19)  Yeah. So, a big thing that I've learned as someone who's very direct, I can tend to be on that, like I mentioned, fighter side. And I know a lot of women, studies have shown 75 percent of us ladies are the ones that typically bring up the issues.    So, just be aware that there is a gender difference there. And if you're a dude, there's nothing wrong with you if you're in, you know, that 75 percent or 25 percent. But I think the biggest thing I've recognized is to remind your spouse in the very beginning of the conversation, why you're having the conversation.    You know, I love you. I love us. I want to see us be the best people that we can be.    I want to see us enjoy marriage and enjoy life. I love you. Like bring the positivity and the reminder that you're better together than apart.    And really, that's part of what we call a soft startup, right? There's a lot of different soft startups you've heard of. You know, I feel when you I need those work to but I like to take it a little bit deeper to say, remind your spouse how much that you love being married to them.    Or again, whatever the issue is like we have the most. Let's say it's parenting. Casey and I are very different in our parenting styles.    Last night would have been a great difference of how that happened. But like reminder that like we both love our children. We both want the best for our kids.    No one doubts that. We both have made we made two beautiful, wonderful, quirky children. Right.    And so, even you can start the conversation with that. But I wish that more people did that because I think people are are, you know, I'm really upset about something. OK, well, the second you say that defenses, sorry, but defenses are going to go up.    We want to keep the conversations defenses low, guards low, right, de-escalation. And so, use soft startups, use kind, positive language. But I think another thing behind that would be come to the conversation processed.    Do not have these conversations 11 o'clock at night when you're tired or when you're hungry. Do not have these conversations when it just happened and you haven't had the time to just like stop. Think about what do I really need?    Why did that trigger me? What am I hoping to achieve? Why is my husband acting this way?    Oh, is he under a lot of stress? Yeah, we got to give ourselves time to sit and process before we even use those soft startups. So, that would be my advice for de-escalation.   Casey Caston: (42:20 - 43:04)  And mine actually would be an apology. I think that we all make mistakes. And when you think about a couple that's maybe living reactively, just winging it, I doubt that there's ever an apology that's given on either side because it takes a little it takes awareness to recognize, gosh, you know what?    My that little comment I just made that probably had a little zing to it. Or, you know, I really let my spouse down by not parenting the children the way she would want me to. Or, you know, I said I was going to do something and I didn't.    And I let my partner down. You want to de-escalate a tense situation. Apologize.   Meygan Caston: (43:04 - 43:04)  Yeah. Own it.   Casey Caston: (43:05 - 43:12)  When you apologize, you know, you're taking all of the heat out of the fire. They really are.   Meygan Caston: (43:12 - 43:16)  And you're validating your spouse's feelings. Who doesn't want to be validated and seen? Everybody does.   Casey Caston: (43:16 - 43:38)  And then you're taking responsibility and accountability for your actions, which is the trust builder for relationships. So, that's why when you talk about high conflict relationships, there aren't a lot of there's not a lot of trust there. It's not a safe place anymore.    So, to create that safety, we want to we want to build trust back into the relationship.   Laura Dugger: (43:39 - 43:50)  Those are fantastic. And do you guys just have maybe a handful of ideas for ways that couples can strengthen their marriage with one another?   Meygan Caston: (43:51 - 44:09)  Absolutely. I would say, obviously, the weekly marriage business meeting. I mean, I know we talked about it, but the important thing is to schedule it, put it in the calendar because you don't want to wing it.    And that way it's showing, oh, you're prioritizing us. Taking walks has been a big one for us. Playing games is a big one.   Casey Caston: (44:09 - 45:18)  The 60 second blessing is where we intentionally spend time. 60 seconds reminding our partner of how much we love them, using our words to say, like, I saw how hard you work for the family. I love how you take care of the kids and kind of reminding your partner, like I see the goodness in each other.    I think it's really important because. Day to day life, we can just be very transactional, and if we again, we have any sort of criticism or, you know, our words just are not flavored with life, well, proverb says, you know, our words have the power to give life or to give death. Right.    So, the words that we speak, if we evaluate. Are we producing what I call weed seeds? Or are we planting fruit trees?    Because weed seeds choke out the garden. Those sharp, critical words can leave your garden looking pretty shabby, whereas being intentional by speaking positive over each other. It's like planting fruit trees.    And who doesn't like a good, juicy orange? Right.   Meygan Caston: (45:18 - 47:15)  Well, and the 60 second blessing, you know, you start off by writing five to seven positive things you love about your spouse. And so, one spouse shares their list for 60 seconds and then the second spouse shares their list. And it's this habit that we actually started doing after our marriage intensive that we did as we were repairing our marriage because we had yeah, we had we had spoken such mean and harsh words or just a lot of roommate stuff.    And we needed that positivity. And it's a great foreplay tip, by the way, just to sit, sometimes sit down and go, I just need to tell you how wonderful you are. Like, who doesn't want to hear that about themselves?    I think another thing that Casey and I have recognized it is the only thing, by the way, Laura, in our marriage, the only thing that has ever stayed consistent. That's we have fun together. We laugh a lot, even in hard times.    Yeah, it wasn't as enjoyable, but we still had fun. And, you know, again, fun is different for everybody. We don't ever want to judge someone else's fun.    But we are constantly like we we are sarcastic. But that's for us because we have high trust levels. I usually tell couples if you're, you know, in a fair recovery or you have low trust levels, sarcasm is probably not great.    But we're very playful. We have again, we play a lot of fun games and we play ping pong and cornhole and we take our dogs on our dog on a walk. And we, you know, we're going to try to go ax throwing in April.    We've never done that before. Like there are fun that we've taken dance lessons. So, we like to think out of the box and do new things or things that we know that like how many games of Yahtzee have we played?    I don't even know. I mean, we've lost count. Or gin rummy, you know, I mean, we just play Sequence or Rummikub like we play them all.    And for that for us, that's really fun. We dance a lot. We love the 90's music.    Like get out your favorite playlist and just dance and sing and be goofy. Like I think if couples were to laugh and enjoy each other more and be able to laugh with themselves, I think that there would be more marriages that would stay together. Laura Dugger: (47:16 - 47:39)  That is something that I've even experienced in this time together. You guys are so fun to be around. And that's very life giving to others.    But I can see where it starts in that secret place between just the two of you, your best friend. And you share a lot of this goodness with Marriage 365. So, can you let us know all the different things that you have to offer?   Casey Caston: (47:40 - 48:48)  Yeah, I would probably say the number one way that people experience all of the resources that we've created over the years is through our mobile app. So, we have an app that has over a thousand pieces of videos, workshop, worksheet, excuse me, courses, challenges. We even have a checkup so you can actually rate kind of your marriage.    And that is a great way for people to be able to have access, you know, on the spot if they're dealing with an issue, they don't know how to get through and they're looking for a tool or a conversation to help them work through that. That our app provides such a valuable resource. I mean, beyond that, you know, some couples need a little bit more hands on approach.    So, we do coaching. We have a coaching staff actually to handle all the incoming couples that are saying, hey, can you can you help us out? And again, I just want to say coaching is really, really focused on giving action plans and homework and accountability to our clients.    And coaching is really, really helpful if you're like, I just need to know what to do next.   Meygan Caston: (48:48 - 49:17)  Yeah. We do intensives for couples that are in crisis, you know, there that are seriously considering separation or divorce or an affair recovery and that we have an over 90 percent success rate because we went through an intensive when we were struggling and it was something we knew we wanted to get trained on and do. And it's a full two days with Casey and I.    I mean, two days back-to-back. We know you. We get Christmas cards from all of our couples, you know, every year.    We love it. And it's they become almost I mean, yes, they're our clients, but they almost become like our friends.   Casey Caston: (49:17 - 49:45)  Yeah. And then probably personally, one of my favorite things that we do is we host our own couple's getaway. And this is a four-day experience.    It's not your it's not like a typical retreat where you're sitting in a conference room, you're just getting lectured all day. We're actually facilitating tools and then giving couples opportunities to work on them. Then some free time to really spend some time making great memories.    We have a dance party. It is a ton of fun.   Meygan Caston: (49:45 - 49:55)  We make sure. Yeah, we make sure it's fun. It's more it's definitely more for couples who are doing OK or want to do better, not they're not ideal for couples in crisis because it's going to be very uncomfortable.   Casey Caston: (49:55 - 49:56)  I love our retreats.   Meygan Caston: (49:56 - 49:57)  I know.   Casey Caston: (49:57 - 49:58)  I love interacting with her.   Meygan Caston: (49:58 - 50:05)  And of course, we have our social media. You can just search Marriage 365 and then we have our website, too. And we have our books, of course.   Casey Caston: (50:05 - 50:09)  Oh, and I have a men's group. I know I launched a five-week men's reset. . Meygan Caston: (50:09 - 50:34)  Needless to say, Laura, we're really busy. I do a lot. I think that's what's funny, right?    I think that people see us online and they think that we just have an Instagram, or we just have Facebook. And I'm like, we've been doing this for 12 years and we have a staff of 12 people. So, we reach a lot of people.    And we because marriage is never a one stop, you know, one size fits all. It's it's true. There are so many different dynamics, and we want to be able to help as many people as we can.   Laura Dugger: (50:35 - 50:59)  Wow. Thank you for sharing that. We will add all of those links.    I love all these different offerings that you have and that will meet people in whatever phase they're in. But you two already know we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Meygan Caston: (51:00 - 51:47)  Mine would be I would want every single person to think about becoming more confident. And that starts with becoming more self-aware. I think that that is completely changed who I am.   And I'm we're raising two kids, and I see the confidence that they have. And we're modeling that but also walking them through how to be self-aware. And really, that starts with having to be one with your thoughts, turning off the phone, sorry, turning off the podcast, sometimes turning off the music and just actually sitting and really going.    Do I really know my thoughts, my feelings, my values, my personality, my good, my bad, my ugly? And we don't do this enough. We are busy ourselves.    We're distracted constantly. And I think that it's really harming our mental health. And so, that would be my savvy sauce.   Casey Caston: (51:47 - 52:30)  Hmm. I love that, babe. It's kind of hard because we find so much alignment.    I mean, I would that's exactly what I would say, too. Um, I, you know, my focus in twenty, twenty-five has really been turned towards helping husbands. And there's a quote that Henry David Thoreau says that many men live lives of quiet desperation and they die with their songs still inside them.    And most guys are terrified of stopping and evaluating. And so, for me, creating space too. Listen, I do a 10, 10, 10 practice in the morning.   Meygan Caston: (52:30 - 52:32)  That's what I thought you were going to say.   Casey Caston: (52:32 - 52:32)  Yeah, yeah.   Meygan Caston: (52:32 - 52:36)  Well, I was like, I bet you he's going to talk about it because it's been life changing for you.   Casey Caston: (52:36 - 53:01)  Yeah. So, I spend 10 minutes of scripture reading. So, that's input.    Then I spend 10 minutes of quiet meditation where I'm sitting and I'm in a listening posture. And I mean, I think about everything from lasagna to the last wave I serve to. But there's intentionality about just opening myself like here I am.    I'm ready to be downloaded on like what you have for me today.   Meygan Caston: (53:01 - 53:02)  God be one with your thoughts.   Casey Caston: (53:03 - 53:18)  Yeah. And all sorts of things come up. And then I spent 10 minutes journaling.    And that process is just and that's like the output. Right. So, now I've got input.    I've been listening and now I get to write stuff out. And that's been a huge game changer for me.   Laura Dugger: (53:19 - 53:43)  Wow, I love both of those. You two are just refreshingly vulnerable and such an incredible mixture of intentional and lighthearted. And it has been so great just to sit under your teaching today.    So, thank you for sharing your story and for helping all of us. And thank you just for being my guests.   Meygan Caston: (53:43 - 53:45)  Oh, you're welcome. It was a pleasure to be here.   Casey Caston: (53:45 - 53:49)  Yes, you asked great questions that plumb the deep wells of Casey Meygan.   Laura Dugger: (53:52 - 57:35)  One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.

Gospel Luke 2:33-35 Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Reflection Think of all the times that Mary and Joseph must have pondered who this child would be. They knew it would be the Messiah, and most likely they were very excited about the fact that he would come and save Israel, and bring the temple back to wholeness. Simeon is the one who speaks about the dark side, about the pain of his death. Without focusing on the resurrection. Closing Prayer Father, there are still many misconceptions about who Jesus is and who God is, and what we're here to do and to be when we surrender to him. Bless us with wisdom and we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Prayer to Share Joy Joy is contagious. Today's prayer written by Nicolet Bell reminds us that the true source of lasting joy is Jesus. When we root our joy in Him, our relationships become spaces where His Spirit overflows, bringing light and gladness to those around us. Reference: Philippians 4:4 Prayer: Father, today we rejoice in you. Help us to seek you as the fountain of joy in our lives. Help us to show up in our relationships with joy from your presence, not seeking our families to give us joy or fulfillment. May our children witness your joy in us and desire to be in relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen. LINKS:How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide Follow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms Get today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use! Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon. Discover more Christian podcasts at LifeAudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at LifeAudio.com/contact-us Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

 Beloved Mother Mary, Simeon's prophecy foretold your sorrow. Though joyful, your heart ached for Jesus' suffering. Help us trust God amid uncertainty. You fled to Egypt to protect Jesus, trusting God's providence. Strengthen those facing hardship, helping them find refuge in faith. Your heart ached searching for Jesus. Pray for those lost in doubt. Help us seek Him with unwavering faith. Your heart broke as Jesus carried His cross. Teach us to persevere through suffering, offering love amid trials. At the cross, you stood steadfast in sorrow. Help us trust in Jesus' sacrifice, uniting our pain with His. You cradled Jesus' lifeless body, sorrowful yet trusting in God's plan. Teach us to endure grief with faith. And you laid Jesus in the tomb with sorrow and hope. Teach us to trust in the promise of resurrection. Amen. 

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23 Our text today is Judges 4:4-5: Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. — Judges 4:4-5 What happens when men shrink back from the leadership God has called them to? In the middle of Israel's chaos, God raises an unexpected leader: Deborah. She wasn't a warrior swinging a sword or a king sitting on a throne. She was a prophetess who listened to God and spoke his truth. Her “office” was a palm tree in the hill country. People came to her not for military strategy but for judgment rooted in God's Word. Under that tree, she became a steady voice of wisdom in a time of compromise and fear. Here's what makes her story remarkable: Deborah is one of the only female civil leaders in the history of Israel. Why? Because no man stepped up. This wasn't God's usual design—it was a vacuum of male leadership. While Israel's men hesitated, God used Deborah's courage to call them forward. Deborah's leadership reminds us that spiritual authority isn't about position—it's about submission to God. But her story is also a warning: when men fail to lead, God will still accomplish his purposes—sometimes through those we least expect. This should wake us up. God doesn't call you to sit under the shade of someone else's palm tree forever. He calls you to plant your own, to lead your home, your workplace, your friendships with courage rooted in his Word. Don't wait for someone else to carry the spiritual weight God designed for you. The world doesn't need more men who abdicate leadership; it needs men who step up. Don't miss your moment. ASK THIS: Where in my life am I waiting for someone else to lead when God has called me to step up? Do I listen to God's voice enough that others would trust me for spiritual guidance? How has passivity hurt the people around me? What step of leadership can I take this week under the “palm tree” of God's Word? DO THIS: Choose one area where you've been passive—at home, at work, or in your friendships—and take the lead today by bringing God's Word into that space. PRAY THIS: Father, forgive me for the times I've shrunken back from leadership. Give me Deborah's courage and conviction to step up and lead under your Word. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lead Me."

Is the Word Worship Correct?In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Shachah means “to bow down, to prostrate, to surrender in reverence.” Abraham uses this word in Genesis 22:5 when he says, “We will go and worship.”In the New Testament, the Greek word Proskuneo means “to bow down or kiss toward,” an intimate act of adoration. And Latreia speaks of service, devotion, and offering our lives as worship—like Romans 12:1 says, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”www.worshipingmusician.orgReflection & ResponseThink about this today:Has my definition of worship been too small?How can I worship through obedience and surrender this week, not just in song?How can I, as a musician, help expand others' understanding of worship?Prayer & DeclarationLet's pray:“Father, thank You that You are worthy of all worship. Forgive us for making worship too small. Teach us to live as true worshipers, in spirit and in truth, offering You our whole lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.”A declaration for you:“I declare that you are rising into the fullness of worship—not limited to a song, but as a living sacrifice. Your daily walk, your music, and your obedience will carry the fragrance of heaven. You are a true worshiper in spirit and in truth.”

David wasn't even a grown up, but one day he found himself in the middle of a war. And suddenly there was a giant! A real one! What would you do? What did David do? Find out now!David And GoliathHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's lesson, David and Goliath, with your child after they've listened to the show!What was your favorite part of the story?Was David afraid of Goliath? Why did he feel this way?David wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was bigger and stronger. He was confident in God!Why was David confident in God?David remembered the times that God had taken care of him before – like when he rescued David from lions and bears. He knew that God was bigger and stronger than all things – even Goliath. David didn't need to be afraid because he knew that God would still do great things.What are some great things God has done?Spend some time thinking with your child about the good things God has done in the Bible and some good things God has done for you and your family!Pray with your child. You might say something like this:Dear God, thank you for the great things you have done for me. Help me to remember those great things, and to always know that you will do great things again because you are a good God, and you love me. I love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this week's Bible story for yourself. Read over this devotion sometime this week as a way for you to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood CraftYour child will create their own pouch filled with stones like the pouch David used to hold his stones. Each stone will represent a part of the Bible story and remind them they can be confident like David.DownloadEarly Childhood Coloring Page and Activity SheetEach week we have a new coloring page and activity sheet for your child to remember the Bible story for the week and learn more about our Big Idea.DownloadNavigating Parenthood Hey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out this blog post all about building our kids' confidence – not only in themselves but as children of God, too.Download

September 14, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. This has been a most difficult week, and not because there is no joy in Metville – as Mets fans watch our team self-destruct.  If only that was the most difficult news this week.  Sadly, it is not. Once again, violence… The post “Whistling In The Dark” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Monday, 15 September 2025   He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 13:9   “The ‘having ears to hear,' he – hear!” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of the seed falling on the good earth and the abundance it provides. Having completed the parable, He next says, “The ‘having ears to hear,' he – hear!”   Jesus' words are the same as Matthew 11:15. It is an admonition to listen, understand, and pay attention, applying His words to their lives. In this case, He has instructed the people concerning soil and seed. What He says has value to the person sowing real seed.   This is how things work, and most people listening to Him, who planted the seed, would know this. Some people may never have thought the process through, just helping out on a farm or being young and unaware of how things worked. They could then say, “I heard that Rabbi speaking about sowing seed and I'll follow His advice.”   But Jesus' intent is not to teach about farming practices. The words were given as a parable, and the people would have known this. The problem is that when He says for them to hear, they may not have understood what He was telling them. In fact, in the giving of this parable as recorded in Luke, it says, “Then His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘What does this parable mean?'” (Luke 8:9).   To this day, people differ on the interpretation or intended audience for Jesus' words. Because this is so, having ears to hear may not be as easy as it seems.   Life application: Despite differing interpretations on parables, verses, intended audience for a given passage, etc., there is a proper and intended meaning for everything in Scripture. There are several important points that must be considered for everything that is recorded. The main point above all is considering the context.   A simple example of this is the Law of Moses. Who is the intended audience for adhering to the law? The context is stated right in the giving of the law and within the law itself. The law was given to Israel. Really, go check it out. Read Exodus 19 and 20, where the basis for the law was given, meaning the Ten Commandments.   After that, Israel is the intended audience throughout the entire time of the law. For example, go read Deuteronomy 5:1 and Jeremiah 2:4, among almost a billion other times that words of law are spoken. Israel alone is always the intended audience. Even Jesus addresses Israel directly, quoting the law, such as in Mark 12:29.   No other nation on the planet was given the law. No other nation was required to observe the law. And when Jesus died, it was in fulfillment of the law. Thus, in its fulfillment, it was ended. This is stated explicitly by Jesus Himself. It is also recorded in the epistles numerous times. So why do churches continue to tell people they have to tithe, not eat pork, or to observe the Sabbath?   These are points of law. The context tells us who the law was for.   To understand the meaning of a parable or who the intended audience is for it may not be readily apparent, but the matter will not be solved and solidified in your mind in a manner that matches Scripture unless you read and rightly apply Scripture.   It may be that you have an exceptional preacher or teacher who properly explains these things, but unless you also know the book, you can only assume what he says is correct. In the end, each of us is responsible for his or her doctrine. To place one's eternal soul in the hands of someone else's doctrine without verifying what they say is the height of stupidity.   If you go to any Jehovah's Witnesses meetings, they will tell you they trust the doctrine of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. And yet, what they teach is heretical and anathema to God. Imagine that. Over nine million people in the Jehovah's Witnesses are destined for eternal separation from God because they fail to accept the principle point of Scripture, that Jesus Christ is God.   Be discerning. Read the Bible, consider its context, and don't be led astray by people who have an agenda to control your life by controlling the doctrine of your faith.   Lord God, help us in our understanding of Your word. Open our eyes when we read it to find the truth as You present it. Please keep us away from false teachers and unsound teachings. Please lead us to a right understanding of it and to a closer walk with You. Amen.

Jesus went throughout Galilee . . . healing every disease and sickness among the people. — Matthew 4:23 This week let's reflect on a word we might not hear very often: holistic. In mission work we generally define holistic in terms of people's whole lives. We minister with our whole lives, and we care about the whole lives of the people we minister with. It's one thing to think about a definition. It's a whole other thing to see it in action. That's what we read about as Matthew 4 describes the ministry of Jesus. Imagine what it would have been like to experience Jesus' work for yourself. No wonder the good news of Jesus spread everywhere! All of the mission concepts we have been reflecting on this month show up in this passage: gospel (good news), witness, and holistic. Jesus proclaims the good news of the kingdom of God. People who experience Jesus witness to his goodness and bring others to meet him. And we see the holistic ministry of Jesus “healing every disease and sickness.” People are set free in every part of their lives. Our theme verse for this month says: “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:3). This is what holistic mission is all about. What does it look like to introduce hurting people to Jesus and his marvelous deeds? We live in a world that desperately needs to experience the loving and healing touch of Jesus. Jesus, thank you for caring about every part of our lives. Please bring healing to the broken areas of my life, and help me to be a channel of your healing presence to others. Amen.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 15th of September, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 21:28. Jesus says:”Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”Then we go to Revelation 1:7:”Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”This morning, the Lord says to you and me, “Lift up your heads because I am coming back and I'm coming back very soon.” The signs are all around us, folks. How much more terrible must it become on this earth before the Lord returns? He has promised us He's coming. He goes on to say in verse 29. He says: ”Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.” In South Africa, summer is near. Outside the window of my little prayer room, I have a beautiful fig tree that my young daughter gave me a couple of years ago as a gift. We have planted it. I want to tell you, it is budding. What is it telling me? It's telling me that summer is coming. Now the Lord says, when you see all these terrible things happening on the earth, be prepared for My second coming because these are the signs that I'm coming back for my people.All those young mothers will tell you that when they are pregnant for the first time and dad is so excited and waiting for their first baby to be born, they have everything ready. Everything is in place. They've got the room prepared. They've got the cot, the special blankets, the special colours. I don't know whether it's blue or pink, it doesn't matter, but I want to tell you one thing, when that baby says, ”I'm coming”, you'd better be ready because that baby is coming irrespective of what you say. That is how it is with the Lord. He's coming in the clouds. We must be ready. Prepare yourselves, prepare your hearts, prepare your children, prepare your family, prepare your friends. Tell them, Jesus is on His way.God bless you and have a wonderful day as you lift up your heads and wait because He's coming in the clouds, and we can't wait for that day!Have a lovely day, Jesus bless you and goodbye.

"There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them..." - Luke 2 Listen to other great sleep mediations on Amen.Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Formed.Support this podcast and the Augustine Institute by becoming a member of the Mission Circle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

HOW TO PUT POWER IN YOUR PRAYER (Acts 4:23-33) The progressives in our country have recently been disparaging prayer as weak and powerless to stop tragedies from happening.  For example, a recent incident occurred at a Catholic school while the children were praying in a sanctuary.  The progressive's argument was what use was prayer, for it did not protect those innocent children.  It became a talking point for several members of congress castigating those who asked for prayer for the families that lost a child, and for our nation that is being consumed by evil.   It is hard to believe that we, as a nation, have come to this point, but when you consider that these people do not believe that God exists, then it is logical that they do not believe in the power of prayer.  They miss the point that prayer is not a talisman to protect us, it is a direct communication with the Almighty God to provide strength to get through the tragedies, and evil, of this world.  Prayer is our fellowship with God who loves us, and whom we love. More than ever, I am totally convinced that the need of the hour is power in prayer.  Not merely to pray, but to pray with power—to pray so as to get your prayers answered.  You see, prayer is not getting God to agree with you.  Prayer is getting you to agree with God about what He is going to do.  God is absolutely sovereign.  We do not change God's mind about things that He has foreknown from the foundation of time. Many of you know that my brother died a couple of weeks ago, and it was not because we did not pray with enough faith to heal him.  There were literally hundreds of people praying for him to be healed.  He died because it was God's will that my brother would come home to be with Him.  And that was my prayer, that God's will would be done in my brother's life.  God, as our Creator, decides in His sovereign will, what will happen in this world, and nobody is going to name it, and claim it, to occur differently.   I firmly believe that in order to get our prayers answered, we need to first find out what God's will is, and then pray for that to occur.  Do I believe that we should pray for God to heal those who are sick?  Absolutely.  Do I believe that God heals people today?  Absolutely.  But when we pray for God's will to be done, then we can rejoice and praise God just as loudly when He heals someone, as when He chooses to bring someone home.  And I did exactly that, I praised God's name when God chose to take my brother home. Click on the link below to hear a message on how prayer is a means of bringing the power of heaven into our lives.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

APOSTLES CREED STUDY #6September 14, 2025I believe in God the Father Almighty,Maker of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,and born of the virgin Mary.He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended into hell.The third day he rose again from the dead.He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.KEY THEMES:1.INITIAL THOUGHTSa. b. c. Look at this section through the lens of apologetics.Unbeliever's Q: “How could a loving God send anyone to hell?”When we recognize our sin, the real question is: “How can a just,righteous, and holy God let sinful people into heaven?”d. The Person of Jesus Christ… His title, authority, divinity, andhumanity. We have examined his “resume” as Savior.e. He also experienced real suffering (passion). This section of theCreed focuses on what we call “Christ's ministry of humiliation.”f. WSC 27: Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? “Christ'sg. humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a lowcondition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of thislife, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in beingburied, and continuing under the power of death for a time.”For a full account of Jesus Christ's humiliation, read: Matthew 272.SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATEa. A jarring change of tone! From glory to suffering.b. What about His years of teaching? The Creed's focus is on theATONING work of Jesus Christ, not all his life.c. This section of the Creed answers the question: “Why was Jesusconceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary?” Tosuffer and die in our place! (The Passion of Christ)d. Why is Pilate mentioned?i. This is real history! (not a saga or parable or illustration)ii. Pilate was the “Persona Publica” – Public Office. John 19:53.CRUCIFIEDa. Crucifixion was the most agonizing and humiliating form ofexecution. It was for outcasts and the worst of criminals.b. Physical and spiritual suffering… “My God, My God, why haveyou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)c.Deuteronomy 21:23, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”d. The Covenantal fulfillment of Christ's crucifixion. Isaiah 53.4.DIEDa. Death is required for atonement. Christ couldn't just shed bloodto atone for humanity's sins. He had to die.b. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…” Jesus paid it all.c. d. Hebrews 2:14-15 – Jesus defeats Satan's curse of death.2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – Jesus' death satisfied the sins of all.e. Christ understands death, which is our final and greatest comfort.5.BURIEDa. Burial confirms the reality of Jesus' death. He had a resurrection,not a resuscitation.b. His exaltation begins earlier with Jesus' words, “It is finished.”c.Joseph of Arimathea: Jesus' body is treated with great care,wrapped in spices and linens. Isaiah 53:9d. Christ's resurrection and ascension don't make sense withouteach of these elements laid out for us in the Apostles' Creed.6.FINAL THOUGHTa. b. What the Sufferings of Christ mean for you and meO Sacred Head, Now Wounded – Bernard of ClaiSupport the showRedeemer Church Murfreesboro PCA is 'together trusting the real God to redeem real people"

Introduction: Watch! (Matthew 7:15-20) Watch Out: FALSE PROPHETS! (Matt 7:15) Watch For: FRUIT! (Matt 7:16-20) What They DO. John 7:18 – The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. What They SAY. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 – Do not despise prophesies but test everything: hold fast to what is good. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 7:15-20What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Why did Jesus say BEWARE of false prophets? What exactly is the danger?What are examples of good fruit you should look for in a “prophet” (preacher, pastor)?What are examples of bad fruit?What are some topics many false prophets talk about? What are some topics they often avoid?False prophets talk about the Bible but not out of the Bible. What is the difference? BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Before we continue in our series on the Sermon and Amount, I want to say a few things.In light of the events of last week, with the death of Charlie Kirk, the murder of Charlie Kirk,absolutely horrible.But at the same time, it's horrible.It's not really shocking, is it?It's not really shocking that something like that would happen.And I would say if you are shocked that something like that could happen in our country,then you haven't been paying attention.It's not shocking because this is exactly the kind of climate that the Lord told us we would be living in.Look at 2 Timothy 3.Turn in your Bibles there for a second, please.2 Timothy 3.Paul says, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents,ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."Does that sound familiar at all?This is where we are.Charlie Kirk was a man who was murdered because of what he said.Because there were people that didn't like what he said. Does that sound familiar?The whole reason we're here is to worship God incarnate who came and said things that people didn't want to hear.And they murdered him for it.Yet God accomplished his purposes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.There's a young man who spoke boldly of the Lord who was publicly executed. His name was Stephen.God used that to advance his gospel purposes. There's a young man who spoke boldly for the Lord who was publicly executed.His name was Charlie.And already we're seeing God is using that to advance his gospel.It's a little terrible for Charlie's family and friends, but Charlie himself, he's having a good day.He is experiencing the fulfillment of the hope in Jesus Christ that he believed in.He's having a good day.As we had done this last stretch of the Sermon on the Mount, last week we talked about the command that Jesus gave us to enter the narrow gate.He said, "The way is hard." And here is another reason that the way is hard.Jesus said that we have to be willing to die.That's the call to discipleship. For anyone who has followed Jesus, Charlie got that.If he were here right now, what do you think he would tell us to do?What would you tell us to go after the Lord? To seek Jesus Christ, to get in His Word?And that's what we're going to do.So I'd like you to bow your heads, please. I want you to please pray for me.To be faithful to communicate God's Word as I should, and I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is the Lord wants to teach us today.Father in heaven, we live in the days that you advertised. You told us exactly what this would be like.Father, we were just singing about how worthy you are.Father, may we all, like this faithful saint this past week, Father, may we all demonstrate how worthy we consider you by our willingness to lay down our lives.It's not going to get any better until our Lord returns.Calm Lord Jesus. Open up our hearts and minds to your Word today, Father.We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.Open up your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7, and we'll be picking up in verse 15.Last Halloween, I was at work. Aaron sent me a video at the house of a mysterious knocking.She's going through the house recording this. There was this knocking. She went to the doors. She went outside.Nobody but just this constant mysterious knocking. Creepy at any time, especially on Halloween, right?Well, we found out who was knocking. We have a woodpecker problem.Oh yeah, funny for you. We got a woodpecker problem.So we got on the Internet to figure out what we need to do to deter the woodpecker.And one of the things that they recommended was getting a plastic owl.They say that owls are just like natural woodpecker predators, right?So you're going to put an owl where the woodpeckers want to come, and that scares the woodpeckers away.So I dragged the ladder out, and I climbed up the side of the house, and I lashed the owl to the raid on vent with thick twine.And you know that woodpecker came back. So I went outside.Like, what did I do wrong here? And you know, I think I see the problem.That owl doesn't look ready to attack, does he? Looks like what we got here is a hostage situation.And I think the woodpecker saw this and was like, "Oh, this house is awesome."They just take my predators and lashed them to the house.You know what I learned from this? I'm not very good at deceiving.I can't even deceive a bird. But you know, there are, unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there today who are great at deceiving.Last week we talked about entering the narrow gate. Jesus said the way is hard.He said the narrow gate is hard to find. It's hard to walk.And here's another reason the narrow gate is so hard to enter. Look at verse 15.Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."It's hard to enter the narrow gate because there are false prophets that are good at deceiving.It's hard to enter the narrow gate because you have people that are standing saying that they represent God and they don't, and they're ushering people into the wide gates.Like, well, who would fall for that? Well, according to verse 13, Jesus said many, many.If you look at the flow of Jesus' sermon here from last week to this week, here's what our Lord is saying.Jesus is saying strive to enter the narrow gate and beware of those who would mislead you away from it.I want you to draw some things down on your outline. Here's what, it's really about one word today. Watch. Watch.Watch number one right this time. Watch out. False prophets."Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."See, God has this plan to save sinners, and the plan to save sinners, it has two tracks. One track is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."Took away our sin, provided eternal life." That's one, that's one track.The other track that this train of salvation runs on is the gospel message being spoken through the people of God.Satan has his counterfeits. Just as God sends his people out to usher people into the narrow gate,Satan has his counterfeits leading people into the wide gate. And Jesus tells us in verse 15 about these false prophets that they're not always obvious, but they are always dangerous.Do you see that? They're not always obvious, but they are always dangerous. Let's break that down. They're not always obvious, first of all.Notice Jesus says that they're in sheep's clothing. What is sheep's clothing? That's just another way of saying, "Wool."Our Lord wasn't talking about going to the Spirit of Halloween store and buying a lamb costume. He's not talking about that.He's talking about a wool coat, because in those days that's what a shepherd wore. They wore a wool coat.So Jesus is saying false prophets are dressed as a shepherd. In other words, they look like a legitimate pastor.Oh, they sound so good and people just love them, but they're not always obvious, but they are always dangerous.That's why I look at the first word of verse 15, "Beware." Jesus didn't say, "Take note or notice." Beware. Look out for these people.Always dangerous. Jesus says they might look like shepherds, but inwardly they're wolves.Number one enemy of sheep. Inwardly evil.What does a wolf do with sheep? Does a wolf show up to feed the sheep? Does the wolf show up to care for the sheep? No.Wolves, when they show up, they're there to take. A wolf is there to get what the wolf wants. A wolf is there to destroy the sheep.And Jesus said that is what false prophets are like.Jesus said you have to beware. It's all through the Bible. All through the Bible. Read Old Testament, Deuteronomy 13, Isaiah 30, Jeremiah 14.We talked about this recently through the New Testament, Matthew chapter 24.Almost every New Testament epistle warns against false prophets.And here once again Jesus is calling us church to discernment.And you've heard me say this before, that is my biggest concern for the church at large, but that is my biggest concern for this church.It's lack of discernment.Like, well, what's discernment? Disernment is the ability to detect what's from God and what's not from God.My concern is for this church.My concern is for people here who genuinely love the Lord, genuinely love His Word, being led astray.Because more than ever we have countless opportunities to listen to junk teaching.Internet, podcasts, YouTube. Jesus tells us to beware and church never, never has it been a bigger problem because wolves have a bigger platform than ever in history.You have to discern who you follow, who you listen to, who you read. You have to discern.I'm shocked at the lack of discernment that we have in the church today.People just gobble up anything as long as it has a sticker on it that says Christian.It's not all from God. It's not.That's why Jesus tells us to beware. It's not all from God.Like, well, does it really matter? Does it really matter? I mean, come on.Aren't we just nitpicking here a little bit, Pastor Jeff? Does it really matter?Well, let me ask you this. Imagine that you woke up tomorrow morning and you had the most severe stomach cramps.I mean, it just felt like razors in your intestines and you're just like doubled over in pain, can't function, calling off work.I got to get to a doctor. Which doctor are you going to?Do you want the trendy doctor who has the most patience, who will lie to you to make you happy, but is really using you and misleading you?Or do you want the doctor who cares about you and will tell you the truth?You're like, well, it's a no-brainer, isn't it?Why isn't a no-brainer there? But when it comes to Bible teaching, we want the trendy lying guy.The wide gate leads to destruction. Does this stuff matter? Yeah, it matters, because your eternity is on the line.And you better be sure that you haven't been ushered into the wide gate by some false prophets.They're not always obvious, but they are always dangerous. They're dangerous to Christians.They're dangerous to the church. They're dangerous to our families.If Jesus, if God Himself is telling us we need to beware of these people, then we better be paying attention.Watch out for the false prophets. You're like, all right, well, how do I know?Like, if these people are out there and they're not obvious, but they're dangerous, how do I know?How do I recognize them? Well, number two in your outline, watch for fruit.Look at verses 16 through 20. Jesus tells us to beware.Look at verse 16. He says, "You will recognize them by their fruits."Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruits.A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruits.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.I gotta tell you, this is one of the most comforting passages in the Bible.Jesus says you will recognize them. You will.Jesus didn't say, there's false prophets out there that'll lead you to hell. Good luck.You'll recognize them if you discern, if you care to discern.If you take the Lord's warning to beware, if you take that seriously, you'll recognize them.I recognize them how. Jesus said you'll recognize them by their fruits.You mean like a tree? Yeah, like a tree.You recognize a tree by what it produces, right?In the same way Jesus is telling us you recognize false prophets by what they produce.I don't really have to explain Jesus' analogy here too much, do I?Jesus illustrates it by saying, look, good trees make good fruit. Bad trees make bad fruit.Like, that's how you know. You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on, hang on, hang on.Back in verse 1 of chapter 7, I thought you said we're not supposed to judge someone's heart.That's right. You can't judge someone's heart. That's why Jesus says to judge the fruit.Jesus here is telling us, look, you have to judge by looking at what they produce.Like, well, what is that? Very simply church, it's two things.There are two things, any preacher you listen to, whether it's here or down the street or on the YouTubesor the Facebooks or whatever, wherever you're listening to preachers, you have to look at two things.In verse 1 of chapter 8, I thought you said, look, what is that?I thought you said, look, what is that?I thought you said, look, what is that?I thought you said, look, what is that?It'll come out. It always comes out eventually.What's in the heart is always revealed in actions. You will recognize them by their fruit.There's good fruit to look for.This pastor, this preacher you're listening to, you're following. There's good fruit to look for.What about things like humility and selflessness, repentance and obedience, generosity and hospitality?What about the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?Do they seem to have a motive to want to glorify God?Are they a person that wants holiness and righteousness? Do they seem like they want to magnify Jesus?There's a lot of fruit that we can talk about, but really, I guess since we're in this current sermon series, let's boil it down to this.Let's make it this easy.This preacher that you're evaluating, is he a Beatitude guy?Because a true Christian and a true prophet, someone speaking for God, is someone who exemplifies the Beatitudes.That's what our Lord is saying. You want good fruit, you're not going to find it from a false prophet.Because nothing good comes from them.You don't get grapes from thorns.You don't get things from thistles, do you?You know, Jesus made a very powerful statement of evaluation in John 7.18.Look at this. Jesus said, "The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory."But the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.The second part of that verse, Jesus is speaking obviously of himself.That's Jesus' standard for his own identity.But here, in the first part of that verse, Jesus is giving us a clue on how to identify a false prophet.Look at this. He says, "The one who speaks on his own authority is the one who seeks his own glory."See, that's the bad fruit that you need to be looking for.That preacher that is constantly looking for more attention.It's about his branding, his image, him being the face of it. More spotlight on me, please.Ain't I great?It's all about his pride, his ego, his power. Self-centered.Watch out for that guy. Watch out for the guy that's seeking his own glory.Self-centered and self-indulgent.You know, these people will put on a pure and holy front, write this down.Eventually, false prophets are found to be full of greed and/or lust.And that comes out eventually.You're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, it's sort of hard to evaluate this fruit,because this kind of stuff often gets covered." You're right.This is the kind of fruit that's not always so readily seen,but there is a more obvious fruit that we need to evaluate.And that's the letter B. Listen to what they say.Listen to what they say.And oh, what they say matters, by the way, because Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets."Prophets?Prophets?It's about someone giving a message, right?A couple years ago, back when we were chicken farmers,we were chicken farmers. I heard a couple people laugh.At least that's what I like to refer to myself as.But we went to the rural king and we got ourselves six leg horns.And when you buy them at the rural king, they're sexed,which means you're getting all females, right?Because we wanted them eggs.Well, our leg horns grew up.They're so cute when they're little.And then when they get to that adolescent age, they get really ugly.And then they turn into beautiful creatures.Like humans, right? I know you're thinking it.I knew you were thinking it.All right, so we had these six chickens and the one day Aaron goes,"Hey, you need to come out and look at something. I need your opinion."And I went outside and our one leg horn, again, just coming out of adolescence,but our one leg horn was like, "Ah, ah, ah!"And I'm like, "Hmm, little gene, little J-E-A-N is actually little G-E-N-E."And you know what little gene we didn't know what he was until he opened his mouth?And that's true about false prophets.You might not know what they are until they open their mouth.Listen to the message.What am I listening for?And this is discernment 101. We've talked about this stuff.Disturment 101. What are we listening for?False prophets always have a twisted view of Jesus, always.His person, His work, who Jesus is, what He did, what it means.False prophets always have this twisted view.According to the Bible, the incarnation is Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man.God became a man to die as a man for men.That's who Jesus is. That's what He did.He rose from the dead to give us eternal life.That's who Jesus is. That's what He did.And if you don't get that doctrine right, nothing else really matters, right?And it's easy to take the shots at the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons and the Christian scientists.And those ones are obviously off about who Jesus is and what He did.I mean, that's so obvious. They're not really my concern.I'm more concerned about the ones who present themselves as being biblical.Listen to the message.Are they accurately representing God's Word?You've got to have discernment people.False prophets will teach some man-centered nonsenseand they like to sprinkle in some random out-of-context versesand non-discerning people say, "Well," he mentioned the Bible,"so that has to be from God."They twist Scripture to attract an audience.Do you ever wonder how they fill those massive auditoriums?Like, how do they do that?Like, if they're false prophets, how are there so many people packed in to hear them?It's because they tell people what they want to hear. That's why.They tell people what they want to hear.Their message is, they're going to talk about things like, look, God is love.That's really the only thing you need to know is God is love.Is that true? Is God love? Yes, absolutely.You see, the problem is that's the only aspect of God that they talk about.You know, the Bible at the same time talks about other attributes of Godthat are also just as true and just as important as the fact that God is love.God is love. That's all you're going to hear.And if you just believe, if you have enough faith, deep down in your heart of hearts,deep down in your hearts, way deep down in your heart, if you really believe,you're going to be physically healed and you're going to be wealthy,they say things like, you know what, you have the power to control your destiny.They say things like, it's never God's will that you lack.It is never God's will that you suffer.And then we sprinkle in a couple of verses to make it sound like I'm saying what the Bible says.And then the world comes along and they're like, oh, that's the kind of religion that I want.It puts the spotlight off of Jesus and on to me.That's the problem.Self-centered teaching attracts self-centered people.You know, we tend to measure success with numbers and then we somehow equate numbers with authenticity.Listen, huge red flag, when the focus of preaching is all about our benefits, not God's glory.I mean, that kind of preaching might be attractive to people, but not to God.So preaching, it leads to the wide path.Listen to what they say.And listen, not just listen to what they say, listen to what they never say.Listen to what they never say.Yeah, we're going to go with that.Are they teaching the whole counsel of God's Word?Or do they cherry-pick topics?It's a huge clue for false prophets.They're never going to talk about sin or repentance or denying yourself or judgment or hell.They're never going to talk about that.It's all so easy.It's nothing offensive.It's nothing that convicts.It's nothing that could possibly bring godly sorrow into your life.We're not going to talk about that.We don't want anyone to feel bad.We just want you all to feel comfortable.All the way to hell.The false prophet, listen, talks about the Bible, but not out of the Bible.And if you learn to discern the difference between those two things,you're going to be able to spot a false prophet instantly.They talk about the Bible, not out of the Bible.They're not preaching a narrow gate.And if they're not preaching a narrow gate, which gate are they leading you into again?1 Thessalonians 5, Paul says, "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything.Hold fast to what is good."Any teaching that includes here, any teaching that you hear must be tested with the Word of God.You see, in God's infinite wisdom, that's why he gave us a book.Why?Because anybody can walk around and say, "Well, this is what God says.I have a message from the Lord.Let me tell you what the Almighty is saying.Anybody can do that."But God gave us His Word in written form so that we could read it, and we can understand it,and we can compare what we hear with it, and know for sure what's from God and what's not.And here our Lord tells us, "Beware.Beware of false prophets, because not everything called Christian is from God."Satan is not going to make it obvious for us.Deception is his MO, and he's going to make sure that his false prophets wear sheep's clothing.They're going to be dressed just like a shepherd.Like that's the worship team to come back up.And church, I want you to stand.I want you to stand.We're going to get into prayer groups.So in just a moment, I want you to stand up.Go ahead, stand up.Don't be shy.And here's what I want you to do.I want you to grab a few people near.You're getting a little groups of about six or eight or so.Look, we're not going to go through and count.All right?And if you want to stand and pray by yourself, that's your business,but I want to encourage you to just grab a few people nearby, get into little groups.And here's what I want us to do today.I want us to heed the warning of Jesus.We need to pray.We need to pray for our church, for our families, for our little ones.We are bombarded more than ever with false teaching.So what I want you to do in your little prayer groups,I want you to pray just two things, all right?Number one, I want you to pray that we would know and love the Word of God.All right?And number two, that we would learn to recognize false prophets by their fruit.Those are the two things that we're praying about now.

Today we finish the book of Philippians and there are two main themes: God's glory and Christian fellowship. Paul ends his letter with, “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” This closing emphasizes that God's glory is the ultimate purpose of all things. He reminds us that God Himself is the most God-centered being in the universe. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

Come As You Are Series: Rahab The ProstituteHebrews 11:31 “By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.”This series is to remind us that God wants us to come as we are. He doesn't expect us to wait until we have cleaned ourselves up or changed our habits before we go to Him. He wants us to come to Him as we are, and then He can help bring us to where He wants us to be. I love the quote, “God meets us where we are and He loves us too much to let us stay there.” We don't need to change before we go to God; we need God to help us change.Today, we are talking about Rehab the prostitute. You might wonder why we are talking about a prostitute. If you don't know Rahab's story, let me summarize it for you. God told the Israelites that He would give them Jericho as their promised land. Joshua sent two spies to check out that land. The Bible says, “So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there.” (Joshua 2:1) Why would these holy men go to rest at the prostitute's house? Could it be because she was an outcast, and so there wouldn't be a bunch of people at her house? Is it because she is used to hiding men in her house? We don't know exactly, as it doesn't say why they went there, just that they did go there.I heard Steven Furtick of Elevation church talking about this, and he said something that I thought was really good. He said sometimes God will use what you think is a weakness as part of His plan. Joshua's men chose to stay with Rehab, maybe for the very reason she would have thought God couldn't use her. I know if I were a prostitute, I would have counted myself out by being used by God. I would have thought that my sins were too great for God to have used me in any way. However, God used Rehab to hide these two men who went to check out the land for Joshua.These men stayed with Rahab, and then the king found out there were spies in his land, and he told Rahab to turn them over. Luckily, she had already hidden them, again, something her job would have taught her to do, and so she said that they had stopped by, but they left before the gates closed for the night. Rehab knew that God had sent these two guys and that He had planned to give Jericho to His people. She helped them so that they would spare her life when they came in to take the land. These men agreed to spare her and her family as long as they were inside her house with her. They gave her a scarlet cord to put in her window so they could tell all the troops to stay out of her home.Rahab used her talents to hide these men and, therefore, gained safety for her whole family. I bet her parents never saw that coming. I bet they never expected the skills she had learned because of her profession would wind up saving their lives someday. God's ways are a mystery to us. We don't understand His plan, and yet, with His plan, He shows us time and again that He is not choosing the perfect people to carry it out. He does not choose who we would have chosen.We talked about Tamar and how she dressed like a harlot to seduce her father-in-law to sleep with her so that she could have a baby. We discussed how, out of all the lineages of Jesus listed in the Gospels, Tamar, even after tricking and sleeping with her father-in-law, is only one of five women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. Now we have Rehab, who is a prostitute, and she is another one of the five women listed in the lineage of Jesus. It says in Matthew 1:5, “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.”In Jewish culture, when listing someone's lineage, it is customary to include the father's name. However, in the case of Jesus, it is mostly just the father's listed. However, there are five of the mothers listed. Just five in all those years. Matthew 1:17 says, “ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the [o]Messiah, fourteen generations.” There are 42 generations from Abraham to the Messiah listed in the Gospel of Matthew, and of those 42 generations, He only mentions 5 of the mothers. Those five women must have been pretty special for God to use them to help bring forth the Messiah.Did they feel special? Did they feel abandoned? With Tamar, we know she lost her husband and was promised that his brother would be given to her when he was of age, but he wasn't. Her father-in-law betrayed her, and so she took what she felt was hers. I doubt she felt special taking it, though. I suspect she didn't feel holy enough for the Lord to use her in an incredible way like He did. With Rehab, we don't know her story. We don't understand why she became a prostitute. We don't know any back story that would provide us insight into her career choice. However, I am willing to believe she didn't feel special. I am sure she was an outcast because of her profession. The women in town probably hated her, as some of their husbands probably went to see her.Why did God choose these women to help bring about His plan to save us with Jesus? Why are these women listed in the lineage when others are not? I believe it is because God wants to show us that you don't have to be perfect to be used by God. You don't have to be doing all the right things. You don't have to get it right all the time. Life is hard, and God knows that. He understands if we get lost and follow the wrong path in life. He is not condemning us or holding it against us. He is just patiently waiting for us to come back to Him.We mustn't count ourselves out. God can use us, no matter what we have done in the past. God will love us, no matter what we have done in the past or what we are doing now. He still loves us more than anything. Rehab was a prostitute, and yet her name made it into the lineage of Jesus. She is also mentioned two other times in the New Testament. One of those is the verse above. “By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” Rahab was not one of the chosen people of the time. She didn't see God part the Red Sea so she could walk through. She didn't see the manna sent from God every day to feed his people.She didn't see any of these miracles, but she did hear about them. She heard about them, and she believed them so much that she was willing to risk her life to hide the men of God so that they might spare her and her family's lives when they came back to conquer the land. Her faith in a God she didn't know was so great that she was willing to risk it all. There are many lessons we can learn from Rahab. One is that we don't need to be afraid to take risks when God is involved. Second is that God can use anyone for His plan. Third is that God may want to use that very thing that you feel is your greatest weakness, that very thing that fills you with so much shame. God can turn that shame into something you can be proud of if you let Him. Don't shut God out because you don't feel worthy. Ask Him to come into the messiness and allow Him to love you right where you are!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us know that you love us, too. Help us to believe that just as you did for Rahab, you can redeem us too. You can use us even though we are not perfect and we have made a lot of mistakes. Please help us to believe that we are exactly the type of person you could us to help bring your kingdom to earth. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. My daily devotional on Identity will be available on Amazon in the near future. Hopefully by the end of this month. I will keep you posted. Thank you for all your support, too! I really appreciate all your kind emails and text messages. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Try to focus on the reality of me and our connection every day, and you will see that my love is always there for you. Tell yourself every day, the Lord loves me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Life can leave us feeling like victims of our circumstances—overwhelmed by grief, hardship, or unfair struggles. In today's prayer and devotional, Scripture calls us to shift our perspective: instead of asking “Why me, God?” we can ask “How can You use this, Lord?” Keri Eichberger shares the inspiring story of her friend Mark, who battled cancer with unshakable faith. Even in his hardest days, Mark chose to see himself not as a victim but as a vessel of God’s glory. His testimony reminds us that God can redeem our suffering for good and use our pain to point others to His strength and hope. When we lean not on our own understanding but on the Lord, our hardships become platforms for His faithfulness. Today, ask yourself: Am I living as a vessel of God’s light, or am I letting my circumstances define me as a victim? Today's Bible Reading: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 Key Takeaways God can use even the hardest circumstances to bless others and bring Him glory. Choosing to be a vessel shifts our mindset from despair to purpose. Trusting God with all our heart allows us to endure trials with peace and hope. Our legacy can inspire faith in those who watch how we live and suffer with trust in God. Let’s Pray Together Heavenly Father, You are the one I can hold tight to. Thank You that You use every valley, every hardship, and every tear for good. Help me choose to be a vessel of Your glory and not a victim of my circumstances. Fill me with Your peace and joy today, so that my story points others to Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Calls to Action Begin each day asking God to make you a vessel of His love and truth. Encourage someone walking through a difficult season by reminding them of God’s presence. Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer to receive fresh encouragement and devotionals each day. Resources & Mentions When Life Feels Too Hard, Remember This – Crosswalk.com Trusting God in Difficult Times – Christianity.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 36-37; Psalm 110; Revelation 19 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where together we journey through the pages of Scripture. In today's episode, host Hunter invites us to reflect on September 14th's readings from Ezekiel 36–37, Psalm 110, and Revelation 19. As we listen, we are drawn into vivid images of restoration, hope, and the powerful promises of God—a valley of dry bones brought back to life, a unified people, and a vision of the one who is the Resurrection and the Life. Hunter reminds us that, even in times of adversity and doubt, God's purpose remains: to reveal His true nature as a loving and powerful King who brings life where there was once only death and despair. Through prayer and thoughtful reflection, this episode encourages us to see ourselves and our world through God's eyes—understanding that what He offers us in Christ is a gift of new life, hope, and joy, not because we earned it, but because of His immeasurable love. Settle in as we draw encouragement from Scripture, join in heartfelt prayers, and remember together that we are deeply loved by God. TODAY'S DEVOTION: TODAY'S DEVOTION: People have the wrong impression about God. And God is going to correct that. When people see the suffering and hardship of God's people, they have the mistaken impression that God isn't good or that he's not powerful enough to help them when they really need it. They're wrong about that. They have the wrong impression. But God's going to help us all see, like he helped Ezekiel see. It's a vision in a valley of dry, dismembered, dead, lifeless bones, skeletons littering the valley. God desires to correct our wrong impression by impressing us with this amazing vision. For at his word, God resurrects these bones into living, breathing bodies. He restores them to life. And God is clear that it's not because they deserve it, but because he wants them and us to have the right impression of him. He wants us and the whole world to know what he's truly like. He's like David, Ezekiel tells us, a good shepherd and a loving and powerful king. But he's far better than David. It's important that we have the right impression. He is the one who was raised from the dead. He is the one who offers all of us dead, lifeless people resurrection, life. When we look at him, we get the right impression. We understand fully what God is truly like. We see what God is offering us through his Son. He offers us life, hope, joy, love—the life we've always wanted, a life we didn't earn, but one that we have received. This is what can happen if we get the right impression. May God impress you today with who he is and who you have become. He is the resurrection and the life, and this is what he has done. He has resurrected and given life to the dead. First Corinthians 15 says, "For as in Adam, all die, even so, in Christ all shall be made alive." God has breathed life into the sons and daughters of Adam. This is God's vision. This is what God was up to in Christ. This is what he has finished and completed. This is the impression God wants us to see and understand. And it's all a gift from the God of love. May God open our eyes to see him, what he's done, and what we have become. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Today we begin a new topic in the Sefer Pele Yoeitz: Amen._______With the help of HaShem, we are learning the Sefer Pele Yoeitz (written by the great Rabbi Eliezer Papo) as part of the Hachzek Daily Mussar initiative!Calendar link: https://hachzek-media.s3.amazonaws.com/Hachzek_Calendar_Printable.pdfSun- Fri = new 5-7.3 minute shiur Shabbos/YT = chazaraRav Papo wrote the Sefer almost 200 years ago, but the Mussar impact and relevance is beyond incredible.Let's go! Ori Strum

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible. Read more here: Project23 Our text today is Judges 4:1-3: And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, for he had 900 chariots of iron, and he oppressed the people of Israel cruelly for twenty years. — Judges 4:1-3 Why do we keep falling back into the same sins we swore we'd never touch again? The story opens with a phrase we've heard before: “The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Notice the timing—after Ehud died. With their leader gone, Israel slipped right back into rebellion. Same song, second verse. This time, God handed them over to Jabin, king of Canaan. And Sisera, his commander, rolled out 900 iron chariots—state-of-the-art war machines. For twenty years, Israel lived under cruel oppression. And finally—they cried out. The cycle repeats: sin → slavery → suffering → supplication → salvation. This is how sin works. Left unchecked, it always drags us back into bondage. Maybe your “Sisera” isn't a general with iron chariots—it's anger, lust, addiction, or pride. You beat it once, but without vigilance, it creeps back, stronger and more ruthless than before. And here's the dangerous part: we learn to live with it. We call it “normal.” We convince ourselves the chains aren't that heavy. But eventually, sin always shows its true colors—it becomes cruel, it takes more than it gives, and it leaves you emptier than before. Don't wait twenty years to cry out to God. Don't wait until the oppression becomes unbearable. Cry out today. The cycle doesn't have to define you, because God's mercy is greater than your failure, and his deliverance is stronger than the grip of your enemy. ASK THIS: What old sin cycle keeps trying to drag me back into bondage? Do I wait until life gets unbearable before I cry out to God? How does the absence of spiritual leadership in my life make me more vulnerable? What's one practical step I can take today to break the cycle? DO THIS: Name your “Sisera”—the sin that keeps coming back. Write it down. Pray over it. And share it with a trusted brother or sister in Christ for accountability. PRAY THIS: Lord, I don't want to repeat the same old sins. Help me cry out to you now, not later, and trust you to break the cycle. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lord, I Need You."

THE COLLECT OF THE DAYO God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.FIRST READING Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28Reader A reading from the Prophet Jeremiah.At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights in the desert toward my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse-- a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them."For my people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good."I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger.For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. Because of this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above grow black; for I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented nor will I turn back.ReaderThe Word of the Lord.PeopleThanks be to God.PSALM Psalm 14 Dixit insipiens1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." *All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;there is none who does any good.2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, *to see if there is any who is wise,if there is one who seeks after God.3 Every one has proved faithless;all alike have turned bad; *there is none who does good; no, not one.4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers *who eat up my people like breadand do not call upon the Lord?5 See how they tremble with fear, *because God is in the company of the righteous.6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, *but the Lord is their refuge.7 Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come out of Zion! *when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.SECOND READING 1 Timothy 1:12-17Reader A Reading from the second letter to Timothy.I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus...

This week, Brad and Steven are back at it, talking about the murder of Charlie Kirk and the spillover effect that it has had on, of all things, the Yankees. Brad was at Yankee Stadium earlier this week, coincidentally on the same night that the president was in attendance. Things did not go as expected. […]

Heavenly Father,I don't understand everything, but I trust you. I am tired of the cycle I am in (Acknowledging). Something has to change. Please protect, correct and reject anything in my life that is not your will (Ask). I am not where I need to be (Surrendering) but I trust the plan you have for me.  In Jesus Name. Amen.  (Prayer from Marriedforpurpose.com)

Sunday, 14 September 2025   But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:8   “And others, it fell upon the good earth, and it gave fruit. Some, indeed, hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus explained that when seed fell among the thorns, the thorns sprang up and choked them. He next says, “And others, it fell upon the good earth, and it gave fruit.”   The Greek includes the definite article, “the good earth.” The implication is that there is, in fact, good earth. When the seed is scattered, some of it is lost to the various places previously identified, but some of it will land in earth that is properly suited for the intended purpose of the sower, which is to produce a harvest.   The words assure Jesus' hearers that God has provided good earth for this to come about. It is up to the one looking to obtain a harvest to select the right field, prepare it accordingly, and then begin sowing.   Though there is good soil, effort is required to obtain the harvest. Thus, there is the provision of God and the labor of the sower uniting to gain the benefit of the soil. When these are harmoniously combined, the result is “Some, indeed, hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.”   Each of these numbers is used for the first time: hekaton (100), hexékonta (sixty), and triakonta (thirty). The latter two are formed as decades of the words hex (six) and treis (three).   Jesus' words are a general statement about the various grains that are sown and the quality of the good earth into which it is sown. As such, the numbers should not be pressed when Jesus explains the parable. He is simply providing an example of how things will work when the seed is sown into good soil.   To obtain a hundredfold is not something that was considered impossible. Centuries earlier, the record of Isaac's life says –   “Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.” Genesis 26:12-14   Life application: Normally, one will get out of his efforts what he puts into them. This isn't always true because there can be catastrophes that sweep away one's efforts. For example, someone may plant papayas around his property. Those plants that are in good soil, have proper sunlight, and have abundant water will produce fruit.   Others that are out of the sun may not be productive. And because papayas need sufficient water, others may have the buds fall off or produce really deficient fruit if not kept properly watered. This is to be expected when someone tries various spots on his property for planting them.   The ones that meet all the right conditions may produce a large harvest. However, just as the harvest is almost ready (I mean, within days), a hurricane (we'll call it Hurricane Helene) comes through the area and floods the property with saltwater from the nearby gulf. That fruit will be ruined because of the saltwater. The plant is likely to be blown over by the wind, too.   Such things can happen, and one has to ask himself whether it is worth the risk of planting fruit trees at all. For certain, there will be no fruit if one doesn't try. In other words, life is a risk. It takes getting up and working in order to produce a harvest.   Fruit trees abound in the world, but when they are in uncleared areas, they generally are not as productive as they will be when land is cleared, prepared, and the trees are planted in optimum conditions. Sometimes, several years of experimenting may take place before any results are realized.   Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Eventually, he made a lightbulb that works and lasts. How willing are you to make the effort to learn biblical languages, learn to share the gospel, or excel at playing music (which includes playing at church on Sunday morning)?   We will never have results if we don't get to work. God has given us the time, place, and ability to make things happen. So get up, pray about what you intend to do, asking God to bless your efforts, and then get to work.   If a hurricane (this time we'll call it Milton) comes through and destroys your efforts, you have more choices to make. Pray that God will lead you in the right decisions to continue to glorify Him.   Lord God, may our actions and words be directed first and foremost to Your glory. Only when that is the case, may we then produce the right results that will cause our efforts to multiply. Keep us from thoughts of abundance without effort unless the glory is directed to You. Whether we reap a harvest with a lot of effort or without it, may we acknowledge You as the reason it came about. Amen.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? In our daily prayer and devotional, we consider that too often, our view of ourselves is clouded by shame, insecurity, and the critical voice in our own heads. We imagine God sees us the same way — through the lens of our failures and flaws. But Scripture tells us something very different. Through Jesus Christ, we are chosen, loved, redeemed, and clothed in righteousness. God doesn’t see us through condemnation but through the finished work of the cross. He calls us His children, His holy people, and His treasured possession. Keneesha Saunders-Liddie reminds us that learning to see ourselves through God’s eyes is life-changing. Instead of walking in guilt or striving for worth, we can rest in the truth that His love is unconditional and His gaze never wavers. To God, you are not a mistake, a burden, or too far gone. You are His. Today's Bible Reading: 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9 Key Takeaways God sees you through Christ’s finished work on the cross, not through your failures. You are chosen, loved, and secure in Him. Seeing yourself through God’s eyes motivates a life of holiness and confidence. His love is steadfast, unconditional, and never based on performance. Let’s Pray Together Abba Father, thank You for seeing me not through condemnation but through the sacrifice of Your Son. Help me to walk in confidence as Your chosen child, knowing that I am forgiven, loved, and secure in You. Teach me to view myself through Your eyes, living a holy life that reflects Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Calls to Action Start your day by declaring aloud who God says you are (1 Peter 2:9). Replace negative self-talk with God’s truth from Scripture. Subscribe to Your Daily Prayer for daily encouragement and hope-filled devotionals. Resources & Mentions What Does It Mean That We Are a Chosen People? – Crosswalk.com 5 Verses About Your Identity in Christ – Christianity.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 33-35; Revelation 18 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: TODAY'S DEVOTION: TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL